Link's Journey to Find Home
by Terminatress
Summary: I'm baaaaaaack! It was brought to my attention that my text format was a little hard to read so, I changed it! Easier on the eyes. R&R Chapters fixed! *I hope*
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: I wrote this because I feel my fics are going a little stale. I decided to try something different and this is what I came up with. Enjoy!  
  
The Legend of Zelda: Links Journey to Find Home  
  
Link was done with it all! The grueling trips to stop Ganondorfs evil, the jumping through time and the offhand adventure in Termina were all over. But Link couldn't rest just yet. Navi. Navi was still missing in his life. The first person er… fairy in his life that stuck by him no matter what. That is until the journey was over. Searching deep in the lost forest for her was no easy task. Especially since he was knocked unconscious by that skulkid and dragged to Termina. Heh, bet Majora didn't see that one coming. Link was exhausted by the time he got back into Hyrule; he was looking forward to some rest and relaxation back at his tree house in the Kokiri village. Of course things don't always go as planned.   
  
'Where is everyone?' Link looked around the village to see absolutely no one there. The fairies weren't doing odd jobs for their partners, their partners were nowhere to be found and it was silent as death in the village. Link would have been scared if he didn't know that the deku sprout was in this time as well. There was nothing really to worry about Link noted to himself as he walked into the village. Epona never liked the lost forest so Link let her go in Hyrule field for the night. It was just after dusk when Link's footsteps echoed through the night air. Eager to get back to bed, Link made his way through the small village. Then Link saw the last person he wanted to see, Mido.  
  
"If it isn't loser boy. Where's your fairy? Oh that's right, she left you. Well that's because you aren't a true Kokiri eh Link? Don't know how to treat a fairy so she ran away." Mido said smirking the whole time. Link barely even heard the stuffed up peacock as he wobbled on his feet.  
  
"Go away Mido. I'm too tired to be bullied by you right now. I just want to go to my hut and sleep the next week or two away." Link shuffled past a shocked Mido with less energy than usual and walked towards the ladder. Link made it up the long climb and stumbled into the small hut. Link walked over to his bed and passed out instantly on the soft cover. Mido watched Link as he went.   
  
'I don't know what Saria sees in that wimp! Too tired to even stand up let alone do anything helpful around here. We haven't seen much of him for close to a month after the Deku tree died and then that mysterious deku sprout comes from out of nowhere. When he finally does come back and can truly be called a Kokiri, he loses his fairy. Then he goes off for an expedition to find her and comes back almost four days later looking like he hadn't slept in a month. Without his fairy! What is going on around here?' As curious as he was, Mido knew it would have to wait until morning.  
  
Morning  
  
"Get up!" A voice incessantly growled at the sleeping figure. Link rolled onto his side with a moan. It was barely dawn out. Then Link remembered through his cloudy brain why he was awake so early.  
  
"Navi?" Link asked half asleep. Link blinked his eyes twice. No it wasn't Navi but a fairy non-the less. "Who?"   
  
"I'm called Cera. Get up! The deku sprout wants to talk to you!" Link sighed as he rolled out of bed and stretched. Last night was the only sleep he had since he left Termina. Link was tempted to sleep in the lost woods but decided against it since he didn't have Navi. "Come on! Let's get going!" Link stifled a yawn and sighed inwardly.   
  
'This fairy acts more like Tatl than Navi. Oh well, I wonder what the deku sprout wants to see me for? I just got back anyways.' Link studied the small fairy; a slight pink glow, a pair of wings, just your average fairy. Then Link noticed that he was still wearing all the things he got in Termina. Link still had the 'altered' Kokiri sword, the mirror shield and all the masks and items.   
  
"Wait just a minute, I want to lighten my load." Cera looked at Link strangely and gave her consent. Link went to the trunk at the end of his bed and opened it. Inside were his slingshot, boomerang, great fairy spells, nuts, Goron bracelet, Zora scales and other old items. Cera was surprised at how much he actually had in the chest and it was only half full!  
  
'Let's see.' Link began to pull out various items, most of which were masks. 'I'll want to keep the bunny hood, the giants mask, the mask of truth, the stone mask, Deku mask, Zora mask, Goron mask….' Link's thoughts stopped when he took out the fierce deity mask. 'Just in case.' Link put the mask back in the slightly smaller space for a mask menu. Link put all the other masks in the trunk.   
  
"What are all of those?" Cera asked looking at the great fairy mask from his shoulder. Link motioned for her to take flight and she did, hovering in the middle of the room. Link smiled at the fairy and shifted to take out the deku mask.  
  
"Watch." Link slipped the mask over his face. Cera almost fainted when a bright flash enveloped Link and there stood a deku kid.   
  
"Wha-wha-what? What did you do to Link you little shrub!!!!!" Cera screamed. Deku Link giggled and in a little voice answered her.  
  
" It's me! It's just the mask. These are magical masks with powers to change your form or do other special things." Link said in his deku voice. Link took off the mask and returned to normal. "Not all of them change your forms though." Cera hovered for a few seconds.  
  
"Wow." was her only comment. Link looked at his items menu. He wouldn't need the Goron bomb certificate anymore, where in Hyrule would he be able to buy it? Link put that in the chest and took out his boomerang.   
  
'I might need this.' Link took another survey at what he might need and could do without. 'I might need my slingshot but I already have a hero's bow. I could take out my bombchu's and make room for it.'   
  
"Ooooo!" Link sighed tiredly; Cera had found his great fairy spells. Link then remembered something; he could put all his extra equipment in with the rest of his masks! There were only eight of them anyway. Link then organized his item space.   
  
'Mask's, fairy spells and hero's bow in one slot. My empty glass bottles and weapons in the other.' Link ruffled through his items again.  
  
"Where did you get all this?" Cera asked excited to see such an array of weapons. Link smiled in memory of the temples and more trials that he had to go through to get his items.  
  
"Oh here and there. Let's see. I have my masks, spells, bow, bombs, bottles, sword, mirror shield, deku shield…" Link stopped for a moment. "I'll take it anyway, just in case my shield gets stolen or something. …The black rose fairy sword, hookshot, boomerang, slingshot, lens of truth, deku sticks and nuts. That should be all of it." Link shut the chest and locked it.  
  
"Wait! What's that? You didn't tell me what this is!" Link looked down to where Cera was pointing. Link absentmindedly put a protective hand over the instrument.   
  
"That's the Ocarina of Time. Princess Zelda herself gave it to me. I really should give it back to her real soon. Well, time's a wasting. Let's go see the deku sprout." Cera's glow brightened a bit.  
  
"You're right! We wasted enough time here. Let's go see the deku sprout." Cera snuggled into Link's hat and disappeared from view.  
  
'Just like Navi.' Link thought sadly. 'I'll find you one day Navi. Just don't get into any trouble while I'm here.' Link, determined now, left his hut to the early morning sun.  
  
"Link!" Link looked to the person that had called him and was surprised to see Saria there. "Link! The deku sprout wants to see you!" Link smiled warmly and climbed down his ladder.  
  
"I know, that's where I'm headed right now." Link said as he walked up to Saria. Saria smiled warmly back at Link.  
  
"Don't be gone too long! It's been way to quiet here for my taste. Want to go to the lost woods later and practice on our ocarina's?" Link nodded and was berated for it.  
  
"Hey! Don't forget that I'm still up here you noodle head!" Link felt a tiny slap on the top of his head from Cera.  
  
"Sorry." Link said quickly.   
  
"There he is!" Link whirled to his left and found Mido with a few lackeys coming his way.   
  
'What now?' Link moaned inwardly as he studied Mido's face. Mido was going to pick a fight. 'I don't have time for this.'  
  
"Hello Mido. How are you today?" Saria greeted in her most casual tone. Mido stopped advancing when he saw the other Kokiri. "Something the matter?" Saria asked in a puzzled tone when she saw Mido's rage.  
  
"Yes." Mido growled in Link's direction. "I have just heard that the deku sprout wants to talk to Mr. No Fairy over there." Saria looked puzzled.  
  
"Why should that bother you? Link will probably be talking to the sprout about recent events. We don't know a lot that happens out of this forest you know." Saria turned back to Link. "That reminds me. Why are you back so early? I thought you weren't coming back without Navi?" Link looked embarrassed.   
  
"I kinda got sidetracked and well, I needed a rest before I went looking again." Link said sheepishly. Mido clenched his hands into fists.  
  
"That reminds me. Where is the Kokiri sword!?! You were only supposed to borrow it! Not trade it!" Mido yelled pointing at the sword strapped to Link's back.  
  
"Oh! This?" Link pulled out the sword and the Kokiri around him gasped. "I merely found a way to make it sharper. Be grateful, it was very hard to do and expensive." Mido growled through clenched teeth.   
  
"We have to be going now." Cera said jumping out of Link's hat. All the Kokiri there jumped back in surprise. "Come on Link. We've wasted even more time! We have to get going!" Link smiled at the fairy.  
  
"Alright, lets go. Just climb into my hat and hang on." Cera gave Link a skeptical look. After Cera was under his hat, Link pulled out the bunny hood and put it on. Mido almost laughed out loud. Link looked ridiculous! Saria also choked on a bunch of giggles.   
  
"That makes you look funny." Saria said through giggles. Link gave her a lopsided grin and then ran towards the deku sprout. The laughter stopped when they realized Link was going way too fast for a normal run.  
  
"Whoa." Mido whispered as Link ran out of sight. With the bunny hood on, Link ran as quickly as he could towards the deku sprout. After all, they were late and this was the best way to get there quickly.   
  
"Slow down!" Came a muffled, scared voice from under his hat ensemble. Link obliged because they were already there. Link pulled off the hood and Cera came out. "Now I know what you meant by 'not all of them change your form'. Warn me next time!"  
  
'Funny, I thought I did.' Link dared not voice that opinion out loud. It must have been a fairy thing to scold until your ears hurt. Link was reminded of Tatl in that instant and shivered.  
  
"Ah, young Link." The deku sprout acknowledged. Link timidly walked up to the sprout. It looked the same as always, short, small and woody. "It's good to see you. I see you're no worse for the ware after your battle in Termina." Link merely sighed at the news that the sprout knew about his adventure in Termina.  
  
'Why am I not surprised?' Link sat down in front of the deku sprout. The deku sprout spoke slowly as if it was afraid of Links reaction to what it was about to say.  
  
"Link, you will not find Navi in the hollows of the lost forest." The Deku sprout said in a serious tone. Link sat up straight.   
  
'What? Navi's not in the lost forest?' Link sat shocked for a moment. 'Then where can she be? A fairy pond? No I doubt she would go there. Then-'  
  
"Do you know where she is, deku sprout?" Link asked nervous. The sprout was silent for a moment.  
  
"Yes. I know where Navi is. I do not know her exact location though. I do know that you will not like where she is." Link's mind began to panic.  
  
"Is she in trouble? Does she need my help? Where is Navi?" Link fired out questions as he jumped to his feet in alarm.  
  
"Let him speak!" Cera smacked Link on the head to get the youth to settle down. Link took a deep breath and sat back down again.  
  
"Thou must listen to thy own story to comprehend Navi's peril." Taking note that the deku sprout's accent had changed, Link sat and listened to the story. "Thou wouldst not remember thy journey to the lost wood as a babe. Nor would thee remember thine caretaker. Thy caretaker brought thee to the forest to protect thine life from certain doom. The war that hath raged in the time of thine birth would have certainly caused thy death. To protect thee, thy caretaker spirited thee away from thine parents and thy home. Thy caretaker begged the deku tree to seal off the route of the warring ones and to keep thou protected. Thy seal from the warring ones held even in Ganondorf's rule, for he hath feared their power also. Thou hath come from the warring ones of Hyrule. Even though they art Hyrulians, they art the warring ones." Link let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in.  
  
"Why are you telling me this? What does that have to do with Navi?" Link asked puzzled.  
  
"Thou friend is in thine place of birth." Link stopped dead. Link's heart skipped a beat or two and he felt strange. Was it fear? The seal would stop him from going to Navi, he would never see his friend again. Link stood up.  
  
"How can I get there?" Link almost demanded. The deku tree didn't answer for a few minutes.  
  
"I can open the seal for you and only you. Beware! I can undo the seal but it will depend on you to restore the seal afterwards. Learn this song well and go through the seal at your leisure. Learn the song of the seal."  
  
_____^________  
______  
_ _______ ____  
A A  
  
Link followed the song perfectly and an earthquake began. Green light flashed behind the decomposing husk of the deku tree and a tunnel suddenly appeared in the stone.  
  
"The way is open now. Just play the song in reverse to close it again. Before you go, I have something to give you." A bright light flashed before Links eyes and he blinked twice before he could see what it was. A small pair of pendants appeared in front of Link. They were of a smooth stone and they sparkled a brilliance of blue and yellow. The yellow one was engraved with a picture of a tornado and the blue had a leaf picture engraved as well. The backsides had pictures too. The yellow had a dewdrop while the blue pendant had a small fire engraved in it. The two pendants were connected by a single piece of string. Link noted that while the pendants were blue and yellow, the string was unmistakably green.  
  
"Thank you." Link said slipping the pendants over his head and safely into his tunic. Link bowed his head and ran off towards the tunnels entrance. To Link's surprise, Cera cut him off.  
  
"I'm coming too!" Link looked at the fairy before him blankly.   
  
"What? Why do you want to go with me?" Link squinted when Cera's fairy light began to flash brighter.  
  
"I want to see the Hero of Time in action! I want to go on an adventure! This sounds like a lot of fun!" Link stood mute in shock.  
  
"This isn't going to be fun! It's going to be dangerous! I'm going off to find my fairy partner remember?" Link said scoffing at the idea that this would be any type of fun. "Besides, don't you have a partner already?" Link kicked himself mentally for asking the question because the fairy's glow went down a bit signaling that it was sad.  
  
"No…" Link bit his tongue.   
  
'I know I'm going to regret this.' Link took out his ocarina and began to play Epona's song. Epona ran to Link from the Kokiri entrance way and stopped in front of Link. Link quickly got on Epona and looked down at the fairy.  
  
"Well? Are you coming or not?" Link asked in Cera's direction. Cera's fairy light went from a small glow to an excited burst of light.  
  
"You mean I can go with you?" Cera asked in an excited voice. Link sighed loudly and nodded. "Yippie! We're going to have a great time! Just you wait and see!" Yep, he was definitely going to regret this...  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Link blah blah blah.... 


	2. Chapter 2 The Deku couldn't resist

Chapter 2  
There was nothing out of the ordinary on the other side of the lost woods. The trees were as tall as in the days of old, the canopy let little or no light through, and the forest floor was littered with small shrubs and mushrooms. All in all, it was a normal day in the lost woods of Hyrule, except for one voice that broke the silence of the forest for the twentieth time.  
  
"Are we there yet?" Link closed his eyes in frustration at the fairy's constant chatter. The barrages of 'are we there yet' and 'how much longer is it' was going to drive Link insane.  
  
"How many times am I going to have to tell you that I don't know?" Link growled up to the fairy in his hat. Cera sighed and patted the top of his head.  
  
"You are beginning to sound like Makuki." Cera grumbled at Link. Link looked up in the direction of Cera.  
  
"Makuki?" Link asked confused. Cera's glow became less light and she sighed. Cera flew out of Links hat and sat on the folds of his shoulder.  
  
"Makuki is-was my first partner. I've had two Kokiri as partners. I'm actually almost as old as the great fairies." Link stopped for a moment digesting the news. "In all the time I've been alive, I've never been outside the forest. That's why I came with you."   
  
"You wanted adventure." Link said bluntly.  
  
"I wanted adventure." Cera repeated. "But I never knew adventure was soooo boring! What are we going to do for fun? I'm so bored!" Link sighed at the fairy's enthusiasm.   
  
"Be thankful that you're bored. The minute things get exciting on an adventure is the same minute things get dangerous." Link said wincing at all the exciting adventure he had been on. Link involuntarily shivered at the thought.  
  
"Cold?" Cera asked. Link started to shake his head.  
  
"No, I'm-" Link started to say. Cera suddenly jumped from her perch on Link's shoulder to float in his face.  
  
"I can fix that." Link let out a startled gasp when Cera wove the fairy magic around his body. Within seconds of the casting, Link felt pleasantly warm. Link looked down to see Epona and himself encased in a red dim glow.   
  
"What did you do?" Link asked confused at the new discovery of magic. Cera landed on his shoulder again.  
  
"Fairy magic. What? Navi never did that for you?" Link shook his head. "I don't see why she didn't…Oh! Silly me. She probably wasn't even born when the winter frost gave way to the blizzard. The Kokiri were almost frozen to death a long time ago in an abnormal blizzard. Their partners had to keep them warm a long time and exhausted themselves as well. Makuki and I went through that storm together." Cera stopped a moment.  
  
"What happened to Makuki?" Link asked knowing it was a painful subject to touch upon.  
  
"A Stalfos go him. The very next summer." Cera said quietly. Link nodded and rode on in silence for a while. "Link! Look there!" Link looked to where the fairy was flying around and was barely able to read the writing.  
  
"Deku forest ahead. All yellows keep out!" Link read out loud. Link and Cera shared a startled glance. "Yellows?"  
  
"Don't look at me. I'm just the fairy around here." Cera said landing in Link's hat again. Link let out a sigh of frustration.  
  
"I thought all fairy's knew about these types of things. Isn't yellow some sort of monster?" Link asked urging Epona forward. Cera shrugged her small fairy shoulders. By now the fairy magic had disappeared leaving Link and Epona back to normal.   
  
"How should I know? I've never been here. This is as new to me as it is to you." Link nodded in agreement. This was going to be a long trip. As they neared the forest town, Link could see that it was early noon through the trees. That would mean that a lot of deku shrubs or whatever inhabited the town would be up and about. It could mean trouble.   
  
"Stay on guard. I've only been in places where humans are acceptable and usually that doesn't include any sort of Deku gatherings." Link whispered to Cera. Cera nodded in understanding and waited atop of his hat. The village looked surprisingly like the Kokiri village. Their homes were made out of the trees; there were small ponds and shrubs all around the area. These things were noticed secondary though. What Link noticed first was the different spectrum of people that were around. There were deku shrubs everywhere and Link expected that; he didn't expect that there were as many deku shrubs as there was gorons and humans. Link blinked in surprise and delight, they weren't going to find a fight here!  
  
"Well, seems to me that we're safe." Cera said floating in Link's face. That's when all the people on the street noticed Link and Cera for the first time. Link shifted uncomfortably on Epona as the people of the deku village stared at them in awe.  
  
"Nice going Cera." Link murmured so only the fairy could hear. Link got down off of Epona and walked her through the village unnerved at all the attention they were getting. Link then tied Epona to a tree near one of the ponds that surrounded the village. When Link walked about, he received stares and inaudible whispers from deku, goron and even humans.   
  
'Why are they staring at me like that?' Link spotted what he was looking for and walked into the town's shop. It was made from the old remains of a huge deku stump. The tree might have rivaled that of the deku tree once. '"The Deku Stop and Split" Nice title.' Link thought as he entered the inn. As soon as Link stepped into the place it went dead silent. All eyes were on Link as he entered the bar and he swiftly found a place to sit and wait for the stores owner to show up.  
  
'Why is it so quiet in here?' Kororo thought perplexed when he reentered from the back storeroom. Kororo was the owner of the Stop and Split. It had been in his deku family for just about three and an half centuries. They housed the soldiers from the war when they came this way. It wasn't often enough for Kororo though as his entire business solely depended on the patrols that went about the edge of the lost woods. Waiting to see if the seal had been broken yet. Kororo never understood why the highness of blue set up those patrols. It wasn't for him to ask or to even complain since that decree had saved his business. Kororo had his hands full on nights like these keeping the drunks stable and his inn in check. It had worried the shrub when the silence suddenly came from out of nowhere; it usually meant that there was a fight or an attack. The patrols had thinned lately and the increased Wolfos attack…Kororo shook his head. Now was the time to deal with the silence, not the rumors of a giant Wolfos attacking the patrols. Kororo made his way to see what the silence was about when he heard the tiny voice.  
  
"What are all of you staring at!?!" Gruffed the small voice. For a moment, Kororo stopped dead in shock. That couldn't be what he thought it was, was it? Kororo made his way to the door and saw in mild shock and awe a fairy. An honest to goodness, live fairy! Then he saw who owned the fairy and nearly fell over in astonishment. It was a boy, that wouldn't have shocked Kororo nearly as bad if he hadn't been wearing green. Green! Not a scrap of blue or yellow on him! Not that a yellow would actual come to the bar without getting his head lopped off at the gates but still! The boy seemed no more than ten years of age; he carried a strange shield and sword the likes of which he had never seen. The fairy sat on his matching green hat that left his bangs out in view. Wait a minute!   
  
'Are those blue eyes?' Indeed, the boy had deep cerulean blue eyes and blonde almost brown bangs. It was if the world had turned upside down for the shrub. Here, in his bar, sat a person that looked a mix of both blue and yellow heritage. Shaking himself out of shock, Kororo made his way over to the mysterious youth.   
  
"Can I help you?" Link turned to the smaller deku shrub and sighed in relief. The shrub was the only one that had spoken since he had entered the inn.  
  
'At last, a friendly face.' The deku shrub looked like any normal deku business shrub from Termina field with the exception of his clothes. Link in fact noticed that all the people in the small town had been wearing blue tunics. 'Must be important.' Once the deku shrub had spoken, whispered echoed throughout the small inn again.   
  
"Yes. I think you can help me. I'm looking for a small fairy named Navi. Have you heard of her?" Link asked the shrubkeeper. The deku shrub shook his head.   
"Sorry. Haven't seen a fairy in years! Yours is the first I've seen since that accursed seal was put on the lost forest trading route." Link blinked in surprise. They knew about the deku tree's seal?  
  
"That so? Well, you can tell everyone here that I'm not for sale or anything ridiculous like that!" Cera sniped shooting looks at the people in the bar. Link sighed at the fairy's obvious hint. A few chairs shifted at Cera's glare.  
  
"Do you know anyone who might have a fairy or could obtain one? This is really important." Link pleaded with the deku shrub. Kororo though in silent reflection for a moment.   
  
"They Wizard Soaran of Neutral City might have a fairy. Came past here not to long ago with an alien light in his saddlebag he did. I watched him ride past as if the fires of din were after him. That be all I know of fairies."  
  
'The fires of din might be after him.' Link thought sourly as he absentmindedly nodded his head. 'That and Nayru's love and light arrows and…' Link let the threatening thoughts hang a bit.  
  
"Thank you." Cera said for Link before cuffing him upside the head. "And cut that out! I almost fell off!" Link rolled his eyes. The shrub laughed at Link and the fairy's exchange. Then the shrub reminded itself of something and became serious.  
  
"What manner of loyalty do you have?" The shrub asked in a gruff tone. Link looked confused for a moment.  
  
"Pardon me?" Link asked the shrub. By now the whole inn had heard of the conversation between the shrub and the 'green' boy. The whole room was silent as death again.  
  
"You don't express your loyalties outwardly by wearing you patrons color. Who are you loyal to? The Lady Harvester Blue or that cur and scoundrel Lord Hunter Yellow?" Link looked to Cera who was on his shoulder.  
  
"Ummm…Sorry. I don't think that question relates to me. My names Link and I'm from-" Before Link could say another word, a soldier ran into the Stop and Split screaming.  
  
"Wolfos! It's the large one! He got the thicket patrol! He's made his way through the gates! Get every available man out to fight!" Link jumped up from his perch on the stool and was lost in the crowd going outside. Kororo forgot all about the strange lad and simply waited for the inn to clear out before he turned back to the boy.  
  
"Just you and me then boy. Boy?" Kororo looked around to see the boy missing. "JUTA!" swore the deku shrub in his own language. Link was almost crushed by the men rushing out to defend the town. Link jumped to the side and let all the adults pass him with ease.   
  
"Why aren't we following them?" Cera demanded when they had all passed. Link brushed himself off and went down the alley he had walked in to escape the crowd.  
  
"They're running in head first into things they don't understand. Most of them will see the Wolfos and turn the other way. Half of them even forgot to bring their weapons!" Link growled to Cera. Cera floated above Link's head for a few moments.   
  
"Since when are you so observant?" Cera said in her amused voice. Link shrugged and walked on. Link made his way over to where he thought he had left Epona and found her dozing by the tree. "We aren't just going to leave them like this!" Cera shrieked in a tiny voice.   
  
"Of course not! We're going to go and get that Wolfos back outside so no innocent people are hurt." Link growled back at Cera. Cera's wings drooped and her glow dimmed.   
  
"Oh." She said sheepishly. Link mounted Epona and rode in the general direction of where the mob had disappeared. Link heard the commotion first before he saw it. There were terrified shouts and screams of terror. Link followed the trail of blood down what looked like a main street and stopped before the town's square. It was a war zone.  
  
"That is one big Wolfos." Link commented. The white wolfos was huge! It was easily three or four times as big as Link, it had a pure white coat of fur and deep red eyes. Link saw the ring of men trying to kill the beast and shook his head at their idiocy. There weren't enough weapons among them to take Gohma down let alone this wolfos!  
  
"Link!" Link looked around the square. No one had died yet but there were a lot of casualties. Then Link noticed that the Wolfos was actually after one person that was being protected by a lot of deku warriors.   
  
'Must be someone important.' Link didn't hesitate because the Wolfos had swept the entire clan of deku warrior away in one swipe. 'Much like a cat does a ball of yarn.' Link noted grimly. Link thought fast and barely made it in time to save the now lone and venerable deku shrub from being tossed in a salad. Link rode Epona full speed and grabbed the Deku shrub by the roots and pulled him up on Epona. The Wolfos let out a battle scream and charged after Link.  
  
"Which way?" Link shouted with adrenaline pumping through his veins. The stunned Deku could only squeak in reply.  
  
"Keep going straight. The gates are at the end of this road." The deku then promptly fainted. Link nodded and stared ahead of Epona.   
  
"Keep going girl!" Link urged Epona. Link turned around in his seat and drew his bow. "Cera!" Link called out as he knocked and arrow.  
  
"On it!" Cera flew out and z-targeted the wolfos eye for Link. Link let the arrow fly and it was magically deflected. The Wolfos grinned.  
  
"Magic?" Link said startled. Link cursed his luck and knocked another arrow. "I have just the thing for you!" Link shouted at the rampaging Wolfos. Link chanted the ancient words for an ice arrow and let the arrow lose. This time, Link was rewarded with a solid thump and a long howl of pain. Seeing his opportunity, Link jumped off of Epona and ran to do battle with the still enraged Wolfos.  
  
"How dare you do this to me!" The Wolfos said in an eerie and deadly voice. Link swallowed hard. It was the first time a Wolfos had actually talked to Link. "You die first." Link saw what the ice arrow had done and smirked; the eye had been completely blinded by the arrow and froze a fair size of the side of his face.   
  
"Why did you attack these people?" Link demanded. The Wolfos blinked his one good eye at Link. Hissing loudly in return.   
  
"You wear not yellow or blue. Who is your master? Tell me before I tear you to shreds so I can send your master some remains." Link knocked another arrow in his bow.  
  
"I have no master." Link growled triumphantly. "I am Link! I am a Hylain of Hyrule fields beyond the lost woods. I live with the Kokiri in the Kokiri village at the edge of the woods. I have come seeking a friend." To Link's small speech, the Wolfos chuckled at first and then laughed loudly.  
  
"Hahaha. HAHAHA! You expect me to believe that? A Kokiri-Hylain. There is no possible way that you could be whom you claim to be! The seal set up by the deku tree because of the royals would not break under a child's power. Preposterous!" The large beast scoffed at Link.  
  
"Oh? Then how can it be that I'm here? With a fairy and my horse? Tell me, why haven't you heard of a boy in green before now? I came through the seal seeking my friend! I will not rest until I find Navi!" The wolfos growled in response to Link's defense of his heritage. Such an impertinent child!  
  
"No matter. My master will be pleased with your death. Yes, It's time to die boy!" The wolfos leapt at Link in a familiar way. Link back flipped out of the way of the double strike making the Wolfos turn because of his momentum.  
  
"No! It's your time to die! Hyaaaa!" Link lunged forward in a vertical strike. It was a vicious downward slash attack that Link had used on many occasions to bring down the toughest of adversary's. Link however, felt strange when he did it this time. When Link pulled back after slashing deep into the large Wolfos, his sword didn't have a drop of blood on it. Not a drop, not a smear or even a streak of blood and the sword seemed to pulse in his hands.   
  
"Raaaaargh!" Link didn't have time to ponder the strange occurrence. The large wolfos was mortally wounded but still had the energy to try and strike back. Link held up his mirror shield to block the frenzied slash attack again and was nearly sent flying at the strength of it. Then, the wolfos tried to circle around Link but found the youth too nimble to get behind for the attack. Weakened, the Wolfos charged Link quickly and tried the same slash attack again. Just like the time before, Link back flipped out of the way and did the same ferocious attack that sunk deep into the wolfos back.  
  
"You got him Link!" Cera said excited. Link dodged another desperate attack to kill him and moved in to finish the kill. By now the Wolfos was too weak to fight back with it's spine severed in two.   
  
"Blast you!" Huffed the white beast as it died with one last attack from Link. Link stood over the corpse of the Wolfos panting to catch his breath, not really tired but relieved.   
  
'That wasn't as tough as some mini bosses I've faced.' Link thought cocky. 'But I don't like that he mentioned a master. That means that there could be more of these guys. I hope Navi's alright.' Link was brought out of his daze by the voices and shouts around him. Slightly startled, Link looked up to see the wide eyes of the soldiers around him. Deku shrubs were the closest to Link as they packed a tight semi circle around Link, the humans and gorons were behind the deku shrubs looking at each other and back to Link.  
  
"Where is Mr. Juba? Where is our Mayor?" Demanded one of the Deku shrubs at Links feet. Cera, annoyed at the lack of gratitude shown, flew down in the shrubs face.  
  
"He's just fine no thanks to you! Don't use that tone of voice with Link either! He just saved this entire town from that Wolfos so he deserves some respect!" The deku shrub backed off and Link was instantly backed away from. How could a mere child defeat such a creature? Link moved out of the circle and was let by with space to spare. Link walked in the direction of where he had jumped off Epona and stopped. Link took out his ocarina and played Epona's song on it.  
  
'I just hope that Mr. Juba is still on her.' When the song faded, Epona came out of the misty with a wide-awake rider on her back. Link walked up to Epona and stopped her so she could let her rider jump off. Mr. Juba was very relieved.  
  
"Thank you so much for your help young one!" Said the plump deku shrub. Now that Link had a good view of the mayor, he decided that he looked a lot like the Deku King from his adventure in Termina.   
  
"It wasn't a problem." Link said a little uncomfortable at the thanks. Link added in his thoughts that it wasn't anything out of the ordinary, for him anyway.  
  
"I am impressed with you abilities! You saved my life and many of the others here!" Suddenly, the mayor turned to the humans wearing blue in the crowd. "This boy has done what men of the blue cloth could not!" Juba sneered at the humans. "I am not impressed with this display of-of lack of skill! Tell the Lady of the Blue that I Juba of the deku's am not pleased that she did not send better men to protect my home! This mere child has seen to my towns welfare and that I wish to have words with her soon!" There was a collective silence from the crowd. "GO!"  
  
"Yes sir!" With that said, many of the people there backed off and ran the opposite direction to anywhere but in front of the Mayor's angered eyes.  
"Weak willed fools!" Juba grumped. Link and Cera backed away from the short-tempered shrub and tried to make a hasty exit of their own. "Well boy, it seems that you have made a real enemy of the Wolfos this day. That was their esteemed leader that you vanquished; Toora." Link closed his eyes and moaned softly.  
  
'I knew I wasn't going to get off easily.' Link turned to the mayor of Deku Town and saw the shrub walking toward him and Epona. Instead of walking up to Link, Mr. Juba walked up to Epona. 'What's he doing?'  
  
"I've never seen such a rarity as this horse. Such a flaming mane and the hair! White as the snow in Lavos Mountain. Tell me, who are you and why did you help us?" Link and Cera exchanged nervous glances. "Oh my! I am such a squabble! Come! We need not talk in this dismal sight of a wretch." Mr. Juba looked down at the Wolfos. Or what was left of the Wolfos anyway. "Come to my home! We can get you settled for the night and have some tea. Yes! Come with me green boy."  
  
"He has a name you know and it's Link!" Cera huffed at the Deku shrub. The tiny voice made the mayor look up. Link saw the eyes of the Deku shrub grow large and wide.  
  
"Will wonders never cease? A green boy and a fairy companion." Mr. Juba then turned his gaze back to Link again. "Wonders indeed." Link couldn't help but feel like a small, helpless child right then under the Deku's gaze. Just what in Nayru's name had he just gotten himself into?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Link *sob* 


	3. Chapter 3 Explainations sorta

Chapter 3  
Later  
  
Link had been lead into the largest tree in the entire town. This tree could have easily been the Great Deku Tree's brother for all Link knew. Epona was tied up outside much to Link's annoyance and hers. 'Can't have a horse roaming at night now could we?' Mr. Juba said as he tightly fastened Epona's reigns to one of the branches outside. Despite Link's protests, he was quickly led into the mayor's home. It was a marvelous sight with great carvings of humans, Gorons and Deku shrubs. Link followed the intricate patterns on the walls that came to the collage in the middle of the farthest wall. Link noted that the carving was the only carving with color and it was of a simple woman in a long dress with stark white hair. The mayor noticed Link's wandering eyes.  
  
"So, you like the engravings of the Deku do you? That, my friend, is a rough sketch of our Lady Harvester Blue. A fine lass she is and a great tactician too." Link could only nod in reply it really was beautiful.  
  
"You speak highly of her." Cera noted with a tinkle. The mayor of Deku town let out a small gruff in reply.   
  
"Yes I do. I would speak more highly of her if she would stop this blasted war with the Yellows and get over her heartbreak." Link's interest in his tone perked up at the interesting tidbit of news. Heartbreak?  
  
"What happened?" Cera asked flying over to the wall carving. The Deku shrub shook his head at the fairy's ignorance. Link walked up to the carving when Cera wouldn't fly back to him.  
  
"You are a strange pair indeed to not know what is common knowledge. I thought that all traveling swordsman knew of her plight. Still, it is best if we have you rested so you can tell me of your story. Come, I shall have you cleaned up and sent to my chambers so you can entertain me with your victory this day and how you came to wear green."  
  
"Alright." Link left the carving and followed Mr. Juba around his home as he barked orders at nearby servants. Link was bathed, his garments washed and mended. Link unfortunately was forced into a blue robe as his tunic was being cleaned. Link had left his things on his chamber's bed. Before he left to see Mr. Juba, Link felt an incredible urge to put the pendants back on.   
  
'I had better keep these things safe.' Link rationed in his mind. 'They were kept for a reason and I still have to figure it all out.' Link was led into what looked like a den with a large amount of books and a fireplace crackled near the only two chairs in the room. Mr. Juba wasn't there yet so Link and Cera had to wait  
.  
"Hey Link?" Cera asked in a timid voice. Link glanced to the fairy hovering over his head.  
  
"Yes?" Link replied. For some reason the little fairy seemed nervous to Link. Link couldn't put his finger on it but the way the people looked at Cera made him nervous as well. Could it be she was nervous about being fairy-napped?   
  
"Um…when this is all over, what are you going to do?" Cera asked almost in a whisper. Link looked at Cera not understanding. "Will you go to Hyrule Castle? Become a knight like when you were the Hero of Time? Or will you stay in the Lost Woods even though you are not a Kokiri?"  
  
'So that's what's been bothering her.' Link thought shocked. Then, Link came to a realization about something; he didn't know what he was going to do after he found Navi! Link knew he was going to stay as long as he could in the Kokiri village but he was growing. It wouldn't be long before he was as tall as the village elder and then he really wouldn't be accepted as a Kokiri. Link knew he always had a home in the castle with Zelda because she remembered what happened. Still, his wandering feet wouldn't let him stay still for long.  
  
"You know, I hadn't thought that far ahead." Link said truthfully. "I know that I'll stay as long as I can in the Kokiri forest, then who knows? I might go off looking for another adventure!" Link said brightly. At this, Cera perked up a bit.  
  
"You'll try to stay in the Lost Woods? As long as you can? Promise?" Link squinted at the brightness that she emitted at this information.  
  
"I promise." Link said with a smile. "Then, I might try and find a good quest to go on. You know, save the world from certain doom or something." Cera's glow died down a bit again then brightened back up as if she had just thought of something.  
  
"Will you take me on those adventures too? I want to come!" Link sighed and let the fairy come to a rest on his hand. Link thought of something and let out a little snort of laughter.  
  
"You'll come anyway even if I have Navi back won't you? I suppose having two fairy companions won't be all bad." Link said aloud. Silently, he added that it would just give him an earache in both ears instead of just the one.  
  
"You're darn right I would!" Cera replied teasingly. Link smiled. Then, the doors to the den opened slightly to entrance the waddling, small Deku mayor. "Hello!" Cera chirped happily. Mr. Juba bowed his head in response and smiled at the fairy.  
  
"Well, it's nice to see you in some proper garb even though it's just a bathrobe, it suits you just nicely. I am Mayor Juba Deku of the main Deku tribe of the Blue. I am happy to greet you young warrior. Now then, care to introduce yourself young one?" Mr. Juba took a seat across from Link and handed him a cup of steaming warm tea he had brought in. Link blushed at the formalities and compliments that had just been slung his way.  
  
"My name is Link and this is Cera." Link motioned to the fairy that was now sitting on the edge of Link's teacup. "I am pleased to meet you even though I don't deserve your praises." Link said embarrassed. Juba cast that comment aside with a wave of his arm.  
  
"Nonsense! You have just killed the greatest threat to my home right now other than the war. You are indeed a fine warrior, young but a fine warrior." Link's blush burned brightly on his cheeks. "Now then, would you mind answering my questions before? I am indeed very curious to your origins and where you found such riches as a fairy and a horse in this day and age." Link sat back in his chair and sipped his tea making Cera find another perch. Juba noticed the behavior and copied Links actions.  
  
"My name is Link and I come from the Kokiri village." At the mention of the Kokiri village, Mr. Juba spit out his tea. If Link had been in the line of fire, he would have been soaked in Deku Blackmist Tea. It almost put out the fire for crying out loud!  
  
"What!?!" Demanded the Deku shrub. "Th-that's impossible! There's no way you can be a Kokiri! The seal is still in effect! The Great Deku Tree would not open that route again until the war has ceased" The boy across from the shrub looked sadly into his cup.  
  
"The Great Deku Tree has been murdered by an evil man called Ganondorf a little while back." At this bit of news the Deku shrub stared at the youth in shock, no not shock, fear.   
  
"Then there is no hope for the route to ever be opened again." The shrub said bitterly. Link shook his head in disagreement.  
  
"The Deku sprout has taken his place. It's true that the seal stayed even in his death but the Deku sprout opened the seal for a short time. To let me pass through it." Link took another sip of his tea.  
  
"Will wonders never cease." The Deku shrub said in awe. "Still, you can't be a Kokiri. The children of the forest would die if they stayed away from the forest too long and yet…" Juba looked at the fairy that was perched on the top of Links head. "You do have a fairy to back up your claims. Who are you boy?"   
  
"I don't know my last name, I don't know if my parents are dead or alive. I do know that the Deku tree chose my name after I was brought to it as a squalling baby. I am not a true Kokiri in blood but was raised as one. I know the secrets of the Lost Woods like any other Kokiri, yet I am not one. I am Hylain by birth. Right now, I am searching for my first fairy companion, her name is Navi." The fire snapped and crackled to life again. The Deku shrub looked at Link as if seeing him for the first time. Then, a certain older fairy spoke up.  
  
"You're forgetting the best part!" Cera said floating in Link's face. Link sighed at the fairy. Cera no doubt was about to tell the mayor of his exploits as the grand hero of time.   
  
"Do we have to tell him that?" Link asked as if tired. "He wouldn't understand the meaning of it and neither do you." Link said eyeing the fairy. Cera giggled at Link naivety.   
  
"I do now. Remember that fairy magic? I saw into your memories while doing it. Oh, don't look at me like that! I only saw a few bit and pieces of your memories. They were quite interesting actually. Especially your time in Termina! That looked like a lot of fun! I really envy Tatl now!" Link gaped at the fairy before his face.  
  
"Is nothing private anymore?" Link murmured harshly. "Fine! Tell him. I don't think that he'll get the meaning of the hero of time anyway…" At the words hero and time, the Deku sat up straight as a board.  
  
'It can't be! There is no possible way!' Juba jumped up from his seat by the fire. Link and Cera stopped their conversation when the Deku became excited. Juba almost ran out of the room and left two puzzled humanoid creatures puzzled in his absence.   
  
"What was all that about?" Link asked Cera. Cera settled on Link's head once again. Equally surprised at the Deku's sudden departure, the fairy replied Link's question.  
  
"Don't ask me, I'm just the fairy around here." Link sat back in his chair again and thought in the silence. Cera interrupted his train of thoughts with a question of her own. "Do you think he understood the Hero of Time title?" Link shook his head.  
  
"No and you shouldn't either. Heck, even I don't know the meaning of the Hero of Time yet and I'm supposed to be him." Link said with a little laugh. "You know, I wonder what this place would be like in seven years." Link took out his ocarina suggestively.   
  
"Don't you even think about it music boy!" Cera growled. Link laughed at the fairy's obvious hatred of magical travel and put the ocarina to his lips to play a song. By now, the mayor and leader of the Deku's had been running back to his esteemed guest in his den. In his den!   
  
'The hero of time! Praise the goddesses that he's still alive!' Juba held the possession that he had so carefully hidden for all these years to his heart. 'It has to be him! There is no other explanation for it!' Suddenly, Juba's ears were assaulted with the sound of pleasant music. The song itself was bright, cheery and had not been heard in this part of the forest for a long time. What brought the smile to the Deku's lips however was that he recognized the instrument being played. Juba recomposed himself outside of the den and took deep steady breaths to steel his nerves. 'A few minutes ago, he was an ordinary boy with a curious green tunic, now… The Hero of Time! How grand is this day!'  
  
"Good! What song is that?" Cera clapped at the end of the song. Link shook his head in amazement. Link had never heard of a fairy like this one.  
  
"It was Saria's song! I can't believe that a Kokiri fairy of all things wouldn't recognize a Kokiri's song!" Link said teasing the fairy. Cera's glow became bright red in embarrassment.   
  
"I knew it! I was just testing you, that's all." Cera said quickly in an indignant huff. Link laughed all the harder at the fairy's blunder and cover up. Link didn't notice until he saw that Juba had sat down again that their host had returned.  
  
"Can you prove it?" Juba asked Link. Link looked confused at the Deku shrub for a moment. Prove it? Prove what? Cera echoed Link's query but voiced hers out loud.  
  
"What do you want Link to prove? It's not like he's done anything bad." Cera said quickly to Link's aid. That's when Link noticed that Juba was holding something. It was a small stone that looked suspiciously like a pendant. It was green and Link could almost make out a picture.   
  
"Can you prove to me that you are the Hero of Time?" Juba asked a little too excited in Link's opinion. Link broke off his gaze when Cera hovered at the tip of Link's nose.  
  
"See? I told you he would understand the title! I bet you're just as famous here as you are in Hyrule!" Link gave her a narrowed look.   
  
"If you remember correctly, my exploits in the future have no impact in the past. I'm only known as the little fairy boy that saved the Gorons on Death Mountain from hunger and Princess Ruto from Lord Jabujabu's belly." Link sniffed at the fairy hotly.   
  
"Only he says!" Cera said just as hotly. "What about your exploits in Termina?" Cera asked quickly. Link frowned at the fairy now.  
  
"Same thing! I had to replay those three same repetitious days over and over again! Sure, they all turned out in the end but the exact memories don't actually exist in the persons mind! My actions had to happen first and going back and forth through time tends to wipe one's actions clean!" Link growled at the fairy. Cera's wings wilted in response.  
  
"What about all the items you get? Those are proof of what you've done." Cera said brightening up a bit. Link took another sip of his tea.  
  
"That's the only proof I have other than Navi and Tatl to back me up. You haven't even been on one of my adventures so you can't back me up." Link sat back in his chair again. "I do have the ocarina of time though." Link sat up in his chair. Juba sat quiet throughout the entire bickering session between boy and fairy.  
  
"You have the ocarina of time? That's the treasure of the royal family of Hyrule isn't it? That would prove you are the Hero."  
  
'And much more than that.' Added the Deku shrub in his thoughts. Juba held out his hands for the instrument. Link cautiously took out the blue ocarina and set it in the Deku's waiting hands.  
  
"It is the ocarina of time." Juba said in awe. The instrument had only been shown to the ancient shrub once before. It was before the Lost Woods trading route had been closed, before the war even when all of Hyrule had been at peace. Before Soaran. "I believe you." Juba finally said handing back the precious treasure.  
  
"You do?" Link asked mildly surprised. The shrub nodded. Link and mayor sat before the fire for a while, neither saying a word. Finally, it was Juba who spoke.  
  
"I suppose I should tell you what exactly you're getting into. You're in a warring state. Did you know that before you came?" Link nodded sadly.  
  
"Yes, but I have to find Navi! No matter what!" Link said determined. Juba cast his glare at the fire for a while.   
  
"Then listen to what I have to say. Before you were born, there were three kingdoms of Hyrule. The great Hyrule you know and these two that are now at war. In order to differentiate from each other, the people of that kingdom would wear different styles and colors of clothing. We wear the blue robes of the kingdom of Harvester. The yellows you have been hearing about belong to the kingdom of Hunter. Your kingdom would not have to wear such things because they had lord over the other two kingdoms and did as they wished. The reason for this was that Hyrule had more resources than both of the Harvester and Hunter kingdoms put together. Along with the many alliances between the King and his surrounding neighbors, the kingdom was quite rich. In order to maintain a balance between the two, the king of Hyrule would trade with both kingdoms in equal amounts and at the same prices. The only problem was that there was only one trade route, the Lost Woods. Eventually, the great Deku Tree allowed a pathway through the forest for the trade and a balance was met. That is, until Soaran arrived. Soaran was a wizard of immense power and greed. Soaran familiarized himself with the royal families of both sides of this war and started to whisper in their ears about certain things. 'If the blue family was gone, you could have all the riches for the trade.' The rulers at the time grew suspicious of the other and stopped the trade between the countries and focused on the trade with the King of the Hyrule fields. That was their first mistake. Soon all connections to the Blue and Yellow factions in this land were severed. Families renounced each other for their heritage, fights became more and more frequent and the people almost screamed out for a war. The shout was heard and the nobles obliged. During the first and bloody battle, two royals met on the battlefield. Torn and battered, they fought the other in a deadly game of life and death the other had never encountered before. It was strange but it was love at first sight. Their families scorned the pairing and pleaded them to reconsider. They ignored their families and ran way together. It may sound like a fairytale romance but I assure you that's not the end of it. The couple hid for a little over a year from their parents and family oblivious to the war around them. Their hiding place was renamed Neutral town and has formed into a magnificent city where all are welcomed. Then, in hiding, something terrible happened. I do not know to this day what had happened, all I know is that they both returned home angry and bitter. That's when the war turned for the worst. Alliances formed and we were brought into their battles unwillingly." Juba paused for a moment. "Neutral town stayed the same; neutral under the leadership of Soaran the wizard and has become a fine city. I do know that the wizard had connections with both royal families and are loved by both. The trade route was taken from us when the pair made alliances and started the war anew. Some say it was to protect the field King from becoming involved others insist it was punishment for our foolhardiness in war." Link nodded, taking in all this information at once.   
  
"How do you know the legend of the Hero of Time then?" Cera asked Juba still on Link's head. Juba's piercing gaze looked Link square in the eyes and made the young Hylain uncomfortable.   
  
"It is foretold that the Hero of Time would save Hyrule. Not just Hyrule of the field but Hyrule of the yellow and blue." Link squirmed in his seat.   
  
"A new adventure!" Cera squealed in delight. "Link! Do you think we could help these people? Please!!!" Link looked deeply into his tea as if it was the deepest part of the Great Bay Coast.   
  
"After we find Navi." Link said quietly. Before Cera could protest, Link cut her off. "Navi is the first and foremost thing I came here for! I will not allow another quest get in the way of my finding her! I did not say that I wouldn't help, I just said it could wait until after we find her."  
  
"So you are going to help us?" Juba asked excited again. Link turned from fairy to shrub.   
  
"It can't be any harder then defeating Ganondorf or stopping moon from falling onto a town." At the mention of a falling moon, Juba's eyes went wide.  
  
"You stopped a moon from falling? How is that possible?" Link grinned a little and snickered.  
  
"It's possible but really, really exhausting!" Link began to tell his tale of Termina to the mayor. Not really in depth, just a few simple things like the bosses he fought, the final battle, the masks, the people in the town and the surrounding areas. Link mainly focused on the southern swamp though.  
  
"A Deku princess? Really?" Interrupted Juba for the third time. Link sighed and stretched a bit.  
  
"Yes. After I had defeated the jungle warrior, I had to take her home in one of my glass bottles. You see, her monkey friend had asked me for help after I had snuck into the palace. The Deku King suspected that the monkey had kidnapped his daughter and was about to punish the monkey for it. I barely made it in time before he was turned into monkey soup!"  
  
"How did you sneak into the palace? I thought you said that they don't allow humans into it." Juba asked suspicious.  
  
"My Deku mask remember? I can turn into one of you guys at will." That got Juba's attention.  
  
"You didn't tell me about that! I thought you could just turn yourself into a Zora! Can I see you do that? I would love to be talking to a Deku instead of a large human. Oh, no disrespect meant!" The mayor apologized to Link as soon as he let the slip up occur. Link rolled his eyes.  
  
"Don't worry. I'm used to a lot worse remarks from Deku's. I'm actually used to a lot worse remarks from some Kokiri's as well." At this, the Deku shrub stopped talking.  
  
'How-how disrespectful! The Hero of Time treated like a lowly commoner! If I ever hear such disrespect in my presence, I'LL-" Link gave a soft yawn and rubbed one of his eyes.   
  
"I'm sorry." Link apologized. "I'm a little tired from today's activities." Juba stopped his train of thought.  
  
"Oh! Silly me. Here I am imposing on a guest! Go, go! Sleep now and we can talk in the morning. Ooops! Before I forget, here." Link was handed the pendant that he had seen in Juba's clutches earlier. "That is for you. It's a present for saving our town. Now off with you!" Link was gently ushered out of the den in the direction of his room.   
  
"What is it Link?" Cera asked once they were in their chambers for the night. Link looked down at the small stone in his hand. It was clear white and smooth, just like the one he had around his neck. Engraved in it was the same picture of the one on the back of his blue pendant. Link quickly pulled at the pendant to make a comparison. To his surprise, there wasn't a scrape in it! The back of the blue pendant had gone smooth and flawless.  
  
'That's odd. I could have sworn I had seen that picture on the pendant before.' Link shrugged it off and put the other pendant around his neck. Link changed into his nightclothes and drifted into a fitful nights sleep.  
  
Morning  
  
Link was up and out of bed earlier than usual. Usually, during his adventures he wouldn't get any sleep. Link would just take sips of potion to restore his energy when needed and trotted forth. It was nice to have a good night's sleep. Link instantly put on his mended and washed clothes. Weapons were still in subspace in his item subscreen along with his items and masks. Link walked out into the hallway to see if anyone else was up yet; no one in sight. Link made his way down to what looked like the dining room and waited for Juba to show up, he didn't wait long.  
  
"Ah, young Link! Care to join us as a Deku?" Juba said as he entered the massive hall to eat. Link and Cera were already seated by his right hand as they watched the food being brought out to eat.   
  
"Go for it Link! I've seen your Deku form before so I promise not to get scared." Cera said quickly. Link smirked at the memory of 'What did you do to Link you little shrub!!!!'   
  
"Alright just don't expect me to eat any of the things you Deku's eat. I don't like boiled moss and fern tips." Link said making a face at the horrid dish. Juba looked at Link and laughed.   
  
"No, I wouldn't expect that of you. Tasted it in human form did you?" Link visibly winced.  
  
"Gah! Don't remind me." Juba laughed again. Link then took out his Deku mask and put it on. Stifling a scream as the magic changed him, Link sat down to eat a human breakfast with the major Juba and a few of the patrol guards that had been injured in the Wolfos attack. Link finished his food quickly and then sat to listen to the conversation around him.  
  
"I heard that the Wolfos was twice as big as the kid was." One soldier said with an eye patch over his right eye. Link sighed in Deku form. Why did people talk about him? It wasn't like he hadn't done anything like that before.  
  
"You had to have heard that because you couldn't have seen it!" said a soldier with a wrapped up left leg. Rounds of laughed echoed in the room as the soldier growled at the tease.   
  
"I heard that he wore a tunic of neither blue or yellow." A soldier with a splinted arm said. Silence.  
  
"You got a good look at the kid Rios. What did he look like?" asked eye patch. The man that hadn't been included in the conversation hmm-ed and coughed. Link noticed him as the man that had entered the inn and warned the people there.  
  
"I saw him I think when I warned the Birch patrol at the inn. He sat there on a stool obviously too big for him talking to old Kororo. I never thought of it until later but yes, he was wearing nothing but green. Had a fairy too." At this news, the other occupants of the table gasped. Obviously this was news to them.  
  
"Really! Can any of the Birch patrol back this up?" wondered leg wrapped. Reos sighed loudly and shook his head.  
  
"Unfortunately, no. They all are too hurt to get out of bed this day and I bet their brains are rattled beyond comprehension because of last night." Link looked at Juba who was grinning at the conversation.  
  
"I heard that he used magic against the beast and then finished it off with his sword!" Splint said eagerly. Link nodded in consent, not that anyone noticed.   
  
"Yeah right! You know that he had to use magic! No person in this kingdom could have finished that bloody beast off with just a sword unless he was a yellow." Growled the eye patch. Rios looked thoughtful for a moment.  
  
"But he wasn't a yellow remember? Not a scrap of yellow on him." Interrupted splint.   
  
"Neither is he a blue!" growled the eye patch in response. Before things got out of hand between eye patch and splinted arm, Cera decided to join the conversation.  
  
"It's awfully rude to speak about someone when they're right in front of you as if they weren't there!" Cera floated out of Deku Links hat and shocked everyone at the table. Link shook his head.  
  
"A fairy?" Rios said surprised. The whole table looked at Deku Link and in unison voiced their opinion.   
  
"No possible way!"  
  
"It was a human boy! Not a Deku shrub!" Growled eye patch.  
  
"Dressed in green!" Added leg wrapped.  
  
"With weapons too!" Finished splint. Cera flew back to Link in outrage.   
  
"Alright! You've had your fun and ate the meal as a shrub. Now take it off before they decide I'm a fibber!" Cera demanded of Link. Deku Link sighed and looked at Juba for permission. Juba nodded and Link stood up and took off the mask. Link was rewarded with yelps of surprise and moved chairs when the magic was over. Link grinned at all the scared faces and sat back down again. Rios was the first to recover.  
  
"Wow." That was the only word spoken for the next fifteen minutes as the soldiers settled down and finished their meal. Link was aware of their nervous stares and quick glances in his direction. After everyone was finished, Juba rose from his seat and addressed the men there.  
  
"Gentlemen of the patrols, I would like you to meet Link. Link, these are the captains of the patrols that have been protecting this area." Link noted that he spat the word protecting the area as if it was a curse.   
  
"Pleased to meet you." Link said politely. The words startled the men sitting at the feast table. A child this polite? "My name is Link and you've already met Cera."  
  
"Humph! The least they could do is apologize for talking about you like you weren't even there!" Cera snorted at the group from Link's hat.  
  
"Cera! Be polite!" Link scolded the small fairy. Juba snickered at the quick turnaround in behavior between boy and fairy. Link was the one scolding like a mother and Cera was the mischievous child.  
  
"Alright! Yesh! I thought it was my job to keep you in line not the other way around. Hello. That better?" Cera didn't wait for a reply and scooted back into the folds of Link's hat.  
  
"I really am sorry." Link said to the group. "She's not usually like this. Must have had a bad dream last night." The men stared at the boy in front of their eyes in disbelief. This was the boy that had save the town last night? Not ruddy likely!   
  
"Who are you boy and why aren't you wearing your patron's colors?" Demanded patch eye. Link looked to Juba for help and found it.  
  
"Let me explain Link. You have to be on your way to find your friend do you not?" Link nodded. "Then you best be on your way then. I take it that you're going to Neutral City?" Link nodded again. "Take a right outside my home and you shall find the gates. The road to the left goes to Goron country, the one up the middle goes to Neutral Town and the one to the right goes to Gerudo country. You'll want to go straight up the middle." Link nodded and rose from his seat.  
  
"Thank you. I hope to see you again Juba. Oh! By the way." Link turned to the men at the table. "I used both magic and my sword to defeat the Wolfos!" With that said, Link left the gawking men in their seats and left to find Epona.  
  
"Answers!" barked Rios. "NOW!" Juba sat in his seat with a grin that rivaled that of the Cheshire Cat's. Juba motioned for the man to sit down so he could begin.  
  
"We gentlemen have had the distinct honor of eating with non other than the Hero of Time and if my suspicions are correct- someone even more special than you can imagine. I gave him the forest pendant." Every man in the room went pale and stared at the mayor as if he had lost his mind.  
  
"Th-that that-" Stuttered eye patch. Juba clapped his Deku hands together in excitement.   
  
"That boy is absolutely amazing! Tells of his previous adventures like you were actually there! Magic brimming from the depth of his soul and full of energy! Why, he's actually a friend of the field kings daughter herself. Never knew the old dodger had it in him! Named her Zelda, can you believe that? Lives, as one of the Kokiri and travels through time like it was his personal toy. Interesting to hear, is it not?" Silence. "Now, now, we all know this day would come. Why so shocked?"  
  
"He's so so-" Sputter splint arm.  
  
"Young!" Rios finished for the man. Juba looked around his companions happily and snickered.  
  
"He may look young but he's an experienced fighter and magician! Just wait until you hear what he's done in Hyrule and Termina! You won't believe your ears, I barely believed mine!" Juba began Link's tale excited as always and grinned when something would make the men visibly pale or gasp in shock.  
  
Disclaimer: I really want to own it but I have a really crappy lawyer. Kidding!  
  
That's chapter three! Later! 


	4. Chapter 4 The three heros of Neutral sni...

Chapter 4 Blue Fields   
  
"I'm bored!" Cera grumped at Link. Link sighed loudly and made Cera land in his hat. Link was bored too but it couldn't be helped. The road was long and monotonous. Hills, trees and rock greeted them. It wasn't like Hyrule field where there were some fences to jump over if you got bored or Poes to shoot at. Link was in for one boring ride.   
  
"I wonder if Soaran is going to let Navi go?" Link wondered out loud. Cera heard the pondering and laughed, loudly.  
  
"Do you really think that he would let such a rarity go? Just because some punk kid from the street asked him to? I don't think so music boy." Link sighed quietly and pulled out his bow. "What are you doing?" Cera asked watching Link shuffle his items around.  
  
"Your right about that. If he won't let Navi go, I suppose I'll have to do something for him to let her go." Cera then promptly smacked Link on top of his head.   
  
"You really are thick skulled! Navi's probably being held prisoner! You don't just go up to a guy like that and say 'can I have the fairy? I'll do anything for you!' I thought you were smarter than that!" Link rubbed his newly formed bump on his head.   
  
"We don't know what this guy is like! Soaran could be an O.K. guy for all we know." Link grumbled in reply.   
  
'Although I don't think that's possible if he really kidnapped her in the first place. What would this guy want with Navi anyways?' Link thought to himself. As if echoing his thoughts, Cera spoke up.  
  
"And how likely is that? Not very! I say we sneak into where this guy lives-"  
  
'Which is probably a huge, threatening castle with lot's of guards.' Link thought to himself.  
  
"-find Navi-"   
  
'Among all the dangerous traps and guards.' Link added in his mind.  
  
"-and free her before anything can happen."  
  
'Like being found out and attacked for stealing.'   
  
"Right, Link? Link?" Cera noticed that Link was barely paying attention to her. "HEY!" Link was bought out of his cheerful thoughts by an annoyed fairy.   
  
"I just hope you're right about this plan. It could be a disaster." Link mumbled to himself. Cera caught the comment though and flew directly into Link's face.  
  
"You mean you like my idea? You're going to try it my way? Yaaay!" Link's lips curled into a tight smile as he shook his head. "We'll have to try when it's dark out and when it's really late! You'll have no trouble at all sneaking into this place! I'm positive about it! Now let's see."  
  
'Oh yeah, this is going to be a complete catastrophe' Link thought wryly as Cera laid out the plans with ease. It was midday as Link and company entered the City. Link had only seen big towns before but nothing like this! Tall buildings were everywhere. Link had never seen such a display of shops before. Why, there was even a great Goron bomb for sale!  
  
"Stay inside my hood!" Link growled at Cera as the fairy tried to take a peek at the city beyond the hood. "You can't be seen." Link said under his breath. Cera pouted.  
  
"It's not fair that you get to see the city while I suffocate in this miserable hat of yours." Cera growled softly so Link could hear. Link straightened his hat for Cera.  
  
"That better?" Link whispered to the fairy. Cera didn't answer because they heard a voice shout.  
"You there! The boy in the green tunic!" Link turned to who was seeking him out in the crowd. Link wasn't hard to miss with all the yellow and blue tunics in the area. Most people just stared at Link as he slowly trotted by on Epona but someone was trying to get his attention. Link saw a man wearing a blue tunic waving his arms around.   
  
'What's this guy up to?' Link made his way through the crowd and neared the stranger. It was obvious that this guy was a blue supporter; you couldn't miss the blue tunic and sweatpants.   
  
"Yes?" Link asked the man when he was close enough to him. The man then panted from the exertion he caused trying to get Link's attention. The man caught his breath and graced his features with a wide grin, making Link feel a little more than uncomfortable.   
  
"You! I know you! You're that guy that saved the Deku Mayor from that Wolfos aren't you? You came riding in and pomp! That was the end of that Wolfos. I was there and watched the whole thing! The green boy!" Link looked slightly shocked and embarrassed at the same time.  
  
"It-it was nothing really." Link stammered. The man in blue let out a whoop of joy. The first thing Link thought was uh oh! He had blonde hair that went well beyond his shoulders and baby brown eyes that screamed puppy. He was of a natural build that made Link moan because it was familiar; he could have been at the fight.  
  
"Zirain, Taro! Get your butt's out here! Now you guys have to believe me!" Link looked in the direction of where the man was shouting and saw two men come out of an inn called The Neutralizer. Link was slightly surprised when he saw a man dressed in yellow and the other in red.   
  
'Red? Juba never mentioned anyone wearing red before. Must not support anyone.' Link thought to himself as the men neared Epona. Link took the time to study their faces. The one in yellow, the one he thought could be Zirain, had deep black hair and even deeper cerulean eyes. The one in red he guessed was Taro and he was the only person he had seen so far with thick red hair. Not many people other than the Gerudo had red hair so Link was a little taken aback by it.   
  
"What is it Derek?" Zirain asked. When his eyes set on Link, they flew open and shocked. "No way!"  
"Looks like we owe you a free drink tonight." Taro laughed tartly. Link was a little unnerved by the whole crowds stares and shifted his weight from side to side.  
  
"Um, hello." Link said an uncertain tone. "My name is Link." The young men were a little startled when Link said something of his own accord. Link looked back at the trio. "What?" Link asked nervously. Then, Zirain laughed.  
  
"Well, I'll be. He can speak too! Wouldn't have expected it though after the tale this blabber mouth told." Zirain pointed to Derek. "Said you defeated THE Wolfos twice your size with a sword no less. That you dashed into the fray and saved the mayor Deku and whisked him off to safety on your horse before the Wolfos had time to react. Then you single handedly took on the beast yourself and won."  
  
"Actually, it was three times my size. It would only be twice as big as Derek here." Link said seriously. Taro and Zirain watched as Link dismounted from his horse and almost burst out laughing when they saw Link's real height.  
  
"No kidding! This is the savior of Deku Town? A scrawny, little runt like you?" Taro giggled between laughs. Link went on the defensive to that comment.  
  
"Who are you calling a runt you lumbering ox!" Link growled at the young man in yellow. Link heard Cera moan in his hat and could almost hear her disapproval. Taro stopped for a moment when it computed that Link had called him a lumbering ox!  
  
"Why you little-" Link dodged to the right and Taro slipped past him on the slippery cobblestones. "Whoa!" Link snorted in amusement when Taro went barreling into some cargo of mashed Zora seaweed. Taro's friends laughed at him as he emerged the crate looking like a drowned man in green.  
  
"Nice look Taro!" Laughed Derek. "You look like the kid now. All covered in green!" Taro glared coolly at Derek.  
  
"You have to admit that makes him look more like a lumbering ox than I though possible." Teased Zirain. Link hid a smile with his hand and tried not to laugh too loudly. Taro started to get the green slime off of him.   
  
"Ha-ha, very funny! Now help me out of this you guys." Link moved aside so he could let Zirain and Derek help their friend. "Now I'm going to have to take a bath!"   
  
"I bet thirty shards that he still smells like that tomorrow." Zirain said to Derek. Taro glared at his friend.   
"No bet. I know that's what he's going to smell like tomorrow." They all laughed at that. Link thought that it was best if he left right then, seeing that they were all busy. Link walked up to Epona and started to mount her when he was suddenly tugged off the horse.  
  
"And where do you think your going?" Zirain said in a good-natured laugh. Link was hanging from his belt being lifted up in the air by the red haired youth. Link was almost completely upside down and had to hang onto his hat.  
  
"Leave the kid alone Zirain, I think we gave him enough trouble for one day. Besides, he could always take out that sword of his and kkkkk!" Derek made a motion with his hand around his neck, pretending to take it off. Zirain didn't take the threat seriously.  
  
"I don't think so. The kid wouldn't really do it. He knows that I'm just curious about him. What say we use that pot money we won a while ago and rent this runt a room so he can tell us his story? It would be the least he could do." Taro made a startled croak and growled.   
  
"I don't think that's a bad idea. What about you Taro?" Derek asked his friend. Taro pondered for a second in his quagmire state and growled loudly. "You did ask for it." Derek reminded him.   
  
"Fine! But you owe me one Zirain!" Link was tired of being up in the air so he stripped himself of his belt and landed gracefully on all fours like a cat. Link brushed himself off while his newfound friends gaped openly.  
  
"How did you do that?" Zirain said in awe of Link when he handed his belt back. Link brushed himself off and put his belt back on.  
  
"That was nothing. You should try getting free of a forty-foot water monster's water tentacle when he's mad at you." The three boy's stared again at Link in shock. "What?" Link asked innocently.  
  
"I take it back Zirain. You owe me nothing. Either this kids imagination is going to keep me up all night or we are in for one heck of a life story!" Taro said softly. Thankfully, Link was shown around Neutral for the rest of the day. The boy's he had met he found out were the famous Neutral Hero Trio. Taro was from the castle in yellow field and Derek was from the castle in blue field. Not a big surprise there but Link did find out a few things about the people. Yellow's all looked relatively the same; deep blue eyes and black hair was a common trait. Blue's had fine blonde hair and deep brown eyes. Link then asked about Zirain and got an earful!  
  
"My parents were original residents of Neutral Town! They were the first settlers here besides the royals. Did you know that they were actually the prince and princess of blue and yellow?" Zirain asked suddenly. Link nodded. "Good. That makes my story easier to tell. Well, my parents were said to be outcasts of society too. My mother was supposedly a Gerudo and my father a Hylain warrior. Not a blue or yellow! A real Hylain! I think he was the last of the sentry sent here by the King of the Fields. Anyway, they followed and became good friends with the highnesses. Not that they knew mind you but still became friends just the same. To make a long story short-"  
  
"You mean to make a short story longer." Taro teased Zirain.  
  
"Oh hush! I'm trying to tell the boy what happened! They had me and stayed in town until Soaran took over." The trio went quiet at the mention of Soaran. "They disappeared when I was ten." They went on and on about their normal lives, their jobs and the girls they liked.  
  
"Gross!" Link made a face when the conversation turned towards girls. The three youths had wolfish grins on their faces.  
  
"One day you won't feel that way around girls. Enjoy the cooties while they last." Derek said with a dazed grin. "Girls grow up and then they become problems."  
  
"Girls are always a problem." Zirain snickered to Link. "Especially to Derek! They all want to get their claws in him and never let go!"  
  
"Hey! How would you like it if you were forced into an engagement?" Derek demanded at Zirain. Zirain looked a little sheepish and adverted his eyes.  
  
"I know that I wouldn't like it." Taro added in as an afterthought.   
  
"I know I don't" Link grumbled quietly. It wasn't quiet enough as all young men present turned to Link in horror. "What?" Link asked innocently again.  
  
"You're engaged!?!" Taro demanded in a shrill voice. Link's shoulder's slumped and he took a deep breath.  
  
"Ruto seems to think so." Instantly, there was pity from the other young men.  
  
"Oh man! How did it happen?" Zirain asked sympathetically.   
  
"You poor guy. What does she look like?" Taro asked just as sympathetic as Zirain.  
  
"At your age? That's unheard of!" Derek squeaked in his defense. Link put his hands behind his head and sighed loudly.  
  
"It happened when I was on a quest for Zelda. I was forced to find a princess in the middle of a large fish's belly in order to obtain a special stone from her. I went in, got the princess out, and she gave me the stone. I didn't know it was supposed to be a stupid engagement present!" Link grumbled. At this shortened version of Link's story into Zora's Domain, the three men began to laugh.  
  
"You had us going there for a minute! I thought you were bloody serious!" Derek laughed. "Imagine! Griping about being engaged to a princess!"  
  
"I am serious! She's a Zora princess!" Link growled at the trio. The trio laughed louder at this bit of 'storytelling' when Link saw what he was looking for. "What's that?" Link asked pointing to a large tower. Taro wiped the tears from his eyes. When he looked in the direction Link was pointing, he became serious.  
  
"That my young imaginative friend is the Tower. Wizard Soaran's Tower to be exact." Link memorized the place they were in it might be useful later. Link was then shown the temple of the three goddesses. Link was too preoccupied with the tower to really notice the intricate carvings or the seven holes in the main room's shrine to the three goddesses. Later, Link and company made there way back to the inn and Link was set up for the night. Link was about to go find something to eat when Zirain sideswiped Link for his story.  
  
"You've been making remarks all day that have got my curiosity peaked and the other guys are already waiting for you. Come on shrimp." Link was picked up by Zirain in the same manner he had been earlier that afternoon and was almost tossed into the room.  
  
"So there you are! We thought you had skipped out on us." Taro said in a teasing tone. Link straightened up and brushed himself off. "So, start talking! You have a lot of questions to answer."   
  
"Where should I start?" Link wondered out loud. Then Link's hat moved on it's own. The movement was noticed by all the people present. "Maybe it should start with this." Link took off his hat and let Cera fly out.  
  
"Hmph! He does too have a fish out to marry him and she's a princess." Cera said growling at the young men. Stunned, the only word for it was stunned. No one moved, no one said a word and no one dared look away from the fairy.  
  
"CERA! Ruto is a Zora! Not a fish!" The fairy floated onto Link's shoulder. Amused that she had the other youth's full and utmost attention, Cera continued on.  
  
"Zora, fish, I've never seen one so what 's the difference. And how dare you leave me in that boring hat all day! I could have died from the heat! I don't know how your brains aren't baked!" In one fluent motion, Link took his hat in both his hands, flipped it over the fairy on his shoulder and closed it like a sack. "Hey! Let me out of here!" Cera's muffled yell came through the cloth of Link's hat.  
  
"This is Cera, my not so polite partner at the moment. She's not coming out until she apologizes for calling the princess of the Zora's a fish." Link said loudly for Cera to hear. There was a moment of silence.  
  
"Fine! I apologize! Just let me out!" Link opened the hat and Cera flew free back into the room. "Gah! Do me a favor and wash that thing will you?"  
  
"A fairy!" Zirain squeaked. "You have an real, live fairy!" Zirain said louder. Link saw the amazed eyes and began to explain.  
  
"Yes. My name is Link and I am what you would call a Field Hylain. I live with the Kokiri in the Lost Woods and I am searching for my friend Navi." After brief introductions, the young men started shooting questions at Link.   
  
"So, you're a true Field Hylain?" Taro asked seriously. Link then remembered the Deku sprout's words and looked down at the floor.  
  
"Not really, you see. I was brought to the Great Deku Tree as a baby and was sealed on the other side when the seal was put in place. I was raised as a Kokiri under the tree's care. I would have never thought otherwise if I hadn't been forced out of the forest by a terrible set of events. Anyway, I was told that this land is the actual place of my birth."  
  
"So you're here looking for your parents and Navi is your connection to them?" Derek queried. Link shook his head.  
  
"I didn't say that. I'm looking for my first fairy partner her name is Navi. After those events Navi and I simply went out separate way and I'm worried about her safety here." Link looked around the room and saw three disbelieving pairs of eyes. "You don't believe me do you?"  
  
"We want to believe you." Zirain choked out. "It's just too incredible of a story to believe." Link shut his eyes and sighed.  
  
"Then the next thing I'm going to tell you is going to blow your minds away." Link took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Those terrible events I went through revealed me to be the Hero of Time." Zirain, who had been standing up, thumped to the floor as his legs gave way.  
  
"No possible way, there is no possible way that-that-" Link looked Zirain straight in the eyes and made his words very clear and concise so no meaning could be lost.  
  
"I want it all to be a lie too. I have seen and done things that make that Wolfos I slew in Deku Town a walk in the woods." To that, the silence that followed was eerie and uncomfortable. Taro swallowed hard and coughed.  
  
"Do you- do you have any proof of this?" Taro asked in a hesitant tone. Link turned to Derek and stared into his eyes when he replied.  
  
"Yes I do. Derek saw the corpse of that Wolfos so he doesn't need and proof of what I can do. You two will probably want proof so just name off what you can believe a Hero of Time could do and if I can, I'll prove it." Taro and Zirain were silent for a moment.   
  
"I've heard that the Hero of Time can change shapes, has mystical powers and-and can handle any type of weapon." Zirain managed to sputter out. Link grinned.   
  
"Then you heard right. Tell me, a Zora, a Deku or a Goron?" Link asked the three teens. The uncertain trio stared at each other.  
  
"Ooooo! A Zora! A Zora!" Cera squealed understanding what Link meant. "Come on!" Cera went up to the three boys and begged for the Zora option. They all exchanged glances and nervously agreed to the Zora choice. Link put away his bow and brought out his Zora mask.  
  
"Watch carefully." Link warned. Link put his mask to his face and felt the magic change his body. After the flash of blue, Link was no longer Link the human but Link the Zora. Link heard a loud thump and saw Taro had fallen off of his chair and onto the floor. Taro looked slightly panicked and was breathing heavily.   
  
"He's a Zora! He's really a Zora!" Taro let out in a petrified peep. Link took the mask back off again and was welcomed with a new petrified yelp from Taro. "I don't bloody believe it! He turned into a blue fined, water breather!" Link sat down on the bed and sighed.  
  
"Now do you believe me?" Link asked the group. All three young men nodded dumbly.  
"You always had a flare for the dramatic." Cera said landing on Link's shoulders. Link cast an annoyed scowl in her direction.   
  
"You weren't even there for half of it. Don't presume you know everything." Link then noticed that it was now dark out. "I think it's time to go pay a visit to the tower. I think it best if you three stay here, I'm going to go see if your great wizard Soaran has kidnapped my friend Navi. I don't know if I'll be back or not…" Link trailed off when he saw their faces.  
  
"Time to go." Cera said quietly. Link left three equally stunned teenagers in Zirain's rented room. Possibly never to see them again. "I hope we see those three again soon." Cera sadly sighed as Link mounted Epona.  
  
"I do too Cera, I do too." Link rode off in the direction of where he remembered he had seen that large and ominous tower.  
  
Neutral Tower.  
  
"It looks bigger up close than it did on the street." Link gasped in awe. This tower was easily as big as the Deku tree, perhaps even bigger! Link slid off Epona and made his way to one of the outer walls.  
  
"Link!" Hissed a voice. Link froze and the hair on the back of his neck went straight up. "Over here." Link scoured the dark buildings around him for the voice. He saw a hand wave and realized it was Derek! Link made his way over to the arm.  
  
"What are you guys dong here!?!" Link demanded in a harsh whisper. Derek, Zirain and Taro looked at Link with huge grins.  
  
"We may be employed by Soaran." Derek snickered. "But that doesn't mean we have to like him."  
"Personally, I hate his guts." Zirain said quietly. Link's eyes got large in the moonlight.   
  
"But why?" Link started to ask. It was beyond the mind of a ten year old in a nine year olds body of why someone would work for someone they didn't like.   
  
"Because you ninny." Taro growled. "It keeps us close together! Our peoples don't exactly get along outside of Neutral City you know." Link stopped mid thought.   
  
'They work for Soaran because they want to be together! It makes sense.' Link's mind still reeled though. 'Why are they here?' Link still couldn't figure out the answer though.  
  
"That still doesn't explain why you guys are here. This could be very dangerous and I don't want you involved in all of this!" Link growled. Derek winced at Link's tone. Taro and Zirain however, smiled at Link.  
  
"That's a hero for you! Always thinking of others before himself. Don't worry kid; we'll be just fine. It's not every lifetime that you can help out the Hero of Time." Taro said smiling. Angered beyond belief.  
  
"And what makes you think I need your help? I've snuck into the Hyrule Castle to see Zelda, battled my way through temples more heavily guarded and still have my ears in tact." Link said in a low growl.  
  
"There's no way that you can go over those walls." Zirain said in an equally low growl. "We are the Three Hero's of Neutral, these guards trust us. There's no way you can get in that place unless you're a master thief of the Gerudo!" Link took in a deep breath.   
  
"Remind me to show you my Gerudo pass sometime. Besides, I have magic remember? I have a way to get past those guards without them batting an eyelash at me." Link pulled out the stone mask and put it on. The trio looked at Link but didn't really see Link. It was as if Link didn't matter that much that he should be considered a threat. Instead, the trio looked past Link and tried to figure out where he was.  
  
"Link?" Link pulled out his hookshot and fired it to the building beside them. Link didn't pull in all the way and let himself hang upside down. Then, Link pulled off the mask and was visible again.   
  
"Up here!" Link shocked the three teens so badly that Derek tripped and sat on his butt. Link came nose to nose with Zirain. "Now do you understand?" Zirain swallowed hard and backed off. "This isn't even half of what I can do to try and sneak in! I can run fast enough to get by the guards; I can use magic to grow larger than the Tower itself. Heck! I could set off a diversion outside and be out before they know what's happening."  
  
"You're-" Taro started to say. When he actually thought about it, he shut his mouth. Taro had just seen this kid turn invisible, turn into a Zora and was now hanging upside down by a strange contraption he had never seen before.   
  
"Bluffing?" Link finished for him. "I don't think so. You really shouldn't have doubts after what you have just seen. I don't need you to get into the castle." Link then noticed the crestfallen faces of the three and mentally kicked himself again. "Look, there is something I can get you to guys to do." At the sudden hope that they could actually do something for Link, the young teens visibly perked up. "This what I want you to do…" After Link explained what he wanted the trio to do and left them to their task, he crept past the guards like in Gerudo fortress and made his way past the outer walls with ease.   
  
'That was too easy.' Link thought worried. 'Then again, not too many people or burglars would try to sneak into a wizards tower would they? I must be suicidal. I don't even know if Navi is here or not!' Link walked stealthily past that large courtyard and stood at the base of the tower.  
  
"So far, so good." Link took out his hookshot and aimed it at the windowsill of one of the closer windows. Link shot up and hung onto the ledge. Before Link could pull himself up, a pair of guards passed the window. Link held his breath as he waited for them to walk by. Link heard footsteps thumping off into the distance and he breathed out a sigh of relief.   
  
'Talk about speaking too soon.' Link climbed onto the windowsill and targeted the next one. 'It's a good thing they didn't have hookshots in mind when they build these fortresses.' Link made his way up the tall tower.   
Link reasoned that Soaran would be at the very top since it was his tower. When Link hookshot to the last window of the tower, he climbed in quickly and shut the windows. Link couldn't see a thing after that. There wasn't a sound in the room, Link listened for the sound of breathing, moving clothes or even a beating set of fairy wings. Nothing.  
  
"I think it's safe to assume that no ones in here." Link whispered to himself. Link noticed that there was an oil tower nearby so he lit it with a fire arrow. The lamp illuminated the large room and Link was given a big surprise.   
  
'It's a nursery!' Link thought startled. There was a baby crib a little ways away from an old sooty fireplace. It was a large room the size of maybe half the tower's width. The room was littered with baby toys, books and blankets. Link made his way to the crib. 'I didn't know that Soaran had a kid.' Link peered inside the crib and found it…empty? Link took a closer inspection of the room. It was in a horrid mess! Dust had piled up after what looked like years of neglect. Any baby smell that could have been in the room had left a long time ago.   
  
"Wow." Link said in awe. This place looked like it had been abandoned. Link then saw something familiar strewn out on the floor, it was another pendant! Link quickly shuffled to the opposite window overlooking the other courtyard and picked it up. It was smaller than the pendants that the Deku mayor had given him and was a lot smoother too. Link heard a noise from the door and quickly pocketed the item. Link cautiously made his way to the door and hid behind it, the noise sounded like it was of a person making a spell. Link waited for the door to open in anticipation. It never did. The murmur of magic stopped and the caster's boots were heard going down a stairway.  
  
'Another close call.' Link thought in relief. 'This isn't where they're keeping Navi, then she has to be somewhere down below.' Link made his way to the window he had come in and hookshotted himself down to the next lowest window. Link then put on the stone mask quickly and saw Soaran for the first time.  
  
"Bring me my book whelp!" No, not a nice person indeed and he looked just that way. A gray, grizzled bear marked his features, piercing eyes to match, a long flowing yellow and blue robe hid any other features could have made out. The servant he had yelled to, jumped at his master's bidding and went for the book he requested.  
  
"Let me out of here!" Link froze at the tiny voice. It was Navi! Link scoured the room looking for his friend and saw a bottle, a black, bluish bottle that had a dim light in it. Soaran turned his voice to it and growled.  
  
"Shut up you little pest! If it weren't for your restorative powers, I would not hesitate to crush you in that bottle!" Soaran went back to the current spelling book he had under his gaze.  
  
'Stupid fairy! I shouldn't have wasted my time with it! I don't know how much time I have until that accursed prophesy is fulfilled.' Soaran thought to himself. 'I need one pendant. Just one. I would have gotten one of the royal's pendants if they had not disappeared along with the nursemaid.' Soaran growled. 'True, I had   
learned that the baby's had been sealed in the room at the top of the tower. I am still no closer to getting it though.'   
  
"humph! I would have had three instead of none if that blasted woman had not interfered." Soaran muttered to himself.   
  
'The baby did die. I'm sure of that. That means its powers are still untapped and ripe for the using. I will have all the pendants of power! I just have to give the local inhabitants some -persuasion to make their leaders give up their treasure to me.'  
  
"The Gerudo's are going to be the hardest." Mumbled the wizard. It was true. The thieves of the yellow feared none of the monsters that he had sent so far. It was easy for the Deku's, just one small Wolfos and they all cowered in fear. Well…maybe not a small Wolfos but still a Wolfos non-the-less.  
  
'The Zora's are going to be the next to give up their pendants to me after the Deku. The Gorons right behind them and then the Gerudo.' With their amulets, he could break the seal put on the forest route and then he could find the other pendants! Then, Hyrule would be his.  
  
"Blast it boy! What is taking so long!?!" Growled Soaran. The pathetic boy whimpered about not being able to find the book and the wizard growled again. "Fool! Do I have to do everything myself!?!" With that, Soaran left the room.  
  
'Now's my chance!' Link lifted the window to sneak in the room quietly. The window was half way up when it got stuck. 'Oh no!' Link knew that he wouldn't be able to get through an opening that small and then went through his options. Link smiled when he found the answer to his problem and took off his stone mask. Link crept into the room and snuck up on the glass bottle containing Navi.  
  
"Toora was WHAT!!?!!" Link was slightly shocked at the tone of voice that was used. It sounded as if Soaran had been shoved into a pit filled with seaweed and bottom kippers. Link hated seaweed and bottom kippers. Link quickly grabbed the bottle with the fairy in it and made his way back to the window.  
  
"It's true. A boy in green came strolling in out of nowhere and defeated him. It's all over town sire." Link didn't recognize the voice and didn't want to it sounded just as hateful as Soarans. "I saw the mangy mutt's coat sir."  
  
"Blast it all to hades!" Roared the wizard. Link panicked. They were coming back to the room and there was no way for Link to get back to the window in time. The door to the other room opened and Link just -simply disappeared. Soaran walked into his lab in a wretched mood. The Deku's weren't going to give him the pendant now that the threat was over. Soaran didn't have any other monsters to go sick on the Deku Town at the moment; he would just have to wait.  
  
'Blast that green boy's worthless carcass! If I find out who he is…' Soaran looked around his lab. 'Something's wrong.' The wizard looked over his things and noticed nothing out of order. The window had been opened a slight crack but not enough for someone to get into. 'But not something.' That's when Soaran noticed an absence of a little angry voice. Soaran turned to find the little fairy's bottle gone.  
  
"THEIF! THEIF! I've been robbed!" Soaran shrieked at the top of his voice. Blast it all! A servant of the dark destroyed by a child, another incantation turned away from the door and now a skilled robber! The day could not have been worse for the wizard of Neutral Town.  
  
"I can't believe he did this to me!" Cera growled to herself for the third time. "I mean, he could get himself into real trouble! If he thinks that I'm going to stay here, he has another thing coming! Wait for me Link, I'm coming!"  
  
"Hold it bug." Derek said affectionately to the small fairy. "Link told us to stay here and keep Epona out of trouble. If anyone steals her, it could mean another little detour to go find her later."  
  
"That is if he had time later." Zirain added into the conversation. "Link doesn't know if he's going to have to make a quick exit or not. He wants to make sure he can leave at the drop of a hat and you flying around looking for him might slow him down."  
  
"That doesn't mean I have to like it!" Cera huffed at Zirain indignantly. Taro was the only one actually doing the work. Taro stood holding onto Epona's harness to keep her quiet and watched for people in the night. Zirain and Derek leaned against the opposite walls of the alley trying to keep something hidden for Link.  
  
"This might be a little easier if we didn't have to hide that light." Taro grumbled to the group. "Why did Link do that anyway? I didn't even recognize what he called it." Derek glanced over his shoulder to his companion holding Epona at bay.  
  
"I think he called it Farora's win-" Just then, the light of the tiny green spectrum grew painfully bright. The three teens had to cover their eyes at the intensity of the light in the small dark alley and a small thump was heard. When they all looked back, a small Deku kid was where the light should have been clutching a glass bottle in its hands.  
  
"That was close." Squeaked the Deku in a small voice. Derek, Zirain and Taro looked at the Deku with astonished eyes. "What?" Before anything else was said the bottle plunked as if something wanted out from the inside. The Deku kid looked appalled for a moment and busily hurried to take off the top. A muffled voice was heard from the inside.  
  
"Let me out! Just wait until my friend comes to find me! You're going to be so sorry! He'll slice you to ribbons! Do you hear me Soaran!?! He'll cut you up into so many pieces that there won't be enough left to fit inside this bottle! Let me out!" The Deku let out a small giggle at the words being spoken. "Who's there!?! That's not Soaran!" There was a brief pause. "Hell-llo! Is someone out there? Please! Let me out of here! I've been kidnapped! Let me out!"  
  
"Quiet Navi." Link said in his Deku voice. There was a longer pause in the bottle as Link fiddled with the cork. "Man. He really had this thing stuck in here good."  
  
"Link? Link! Is that you! I'm so glad you came! You have to let me out of here! I want to go home!" Link finally got the top off of the bottle and Navi's soft blue light shimmered as she flew to her freedom.  
  
"Hi Navi." Link said quietly in his Deku form. Navi stretched her stiff wings and let out a yawn.  
  
"Thank you so much for coming to my rescue Link! I've been stuffed up in that bottle for little over a week. You don't sound like yourself Link have you got a cold or…" Navi trailed off when she saw the Deku kid holding the bottle she had just flew out of. "You're not Link! Where's Link? So help me, if this is another trick!" Link started laughing in his Deku form; it was a bubbly, high-pitched bunch of giggles that made everyone present grin. Except for Navi.   
  
"I forgot you haven't seen me since my exploits in Termina. It's me Navi! Hold on a minute." Link took off his mask. Navi had never seen such powerful magic before! A dark green cloud of smoke started at the Deku's feet and swirled around it's body. There was a bright flash of light that made the fairy look away for a mere second. When Navi looked back, she was shocked to see Link holding a small mask in his hands.  
  
"Link?" Navi asked with a quivering voice. Link put away the mask and smiled. Navi looked the boy up and down once before flying to his cheek and hugging herself to him. "Link! It was so terrible! Soaran came from out of nowhere and he, sniff-" Link's hand came up and stroked the small fairy's wings to help her calm down.  
  
"It's alright now Navi. You're safe now. I won't let him near you again." Link said reassuring the   
emotional fairy. There was a small sniffle from the present company. Needless to say, Link and Navi blushed.  
  
"That was so beautiful!" Cera said floating in front of Taro. "Aw, look! You made me all weepy again!" Link looked to Navi and sighed.  
  
"Navi, this is Cera, Derek, Zirain and Taro. Everyone, this is Navi." Link said introducing everyone. Suddenly, the alarm of the Tower was sounded. Link looked back to his companions and sighed. "I think that is our cue to go back to the inn." Link and company made their way back to the inn unnoticed by the current occupants.   
  
'Good everyone's busy. Now if we can make it to our rooms.' Before Link could reach his room, Taro shuffled Link and his two fairy companions to his room. Derek and Zirain followed after him. As soon as the door was closed, the hero trio of Neutral let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"I never expected to come back into this room in one piece." Taro said as he shut the door. "I wish I could have seen the look on old hog face when he realized his impenetrable fortress had been broken into."  
"I thought for sure that we were going to have to come charging in and save you. Way to go Link!" Derek roughly slapped Link on the back before he sat on the chair opposite the bed.  
  
"I never thought you would get away with it!" Zirain said pouncing on the bed next to Link. "You have the makings of a real thief! Not that I would know of course." Zirain winked at Link. "You may come in handy when breakfast rolls around." Link smiled at Navi and she fluttered to Link's already crowded hat.  
  
"It wasn't that hard at all. I had a worse time trying to sneak around the Gerudo fortress back in the Fields." Navi rolled her eyes and sighed.  
  
"Yeah but, you did get that Gerudo pass and the carpenters were sure happy when you freed them. Ummm Link?" Navi asked almost as if she was nervous. Link was accosted by the small fairy hovering in his face. "How did you do that? I've never seen that type of magic before."  
  
"Tell you later. Right now, I want to get some sleep before anything else happens." Link said stifling a yawn. Link made his way to the door but was interrupted by Derek.  
  
"What? You're going to sleep now? You can't leave us hanging like this! We want to know what happened." Link moaned and sighed. "You're not getting out of it this time."  
  
"Can I get some sleep first?" Link asked stifling yet another yawn. Navi floated in front of his face again.  
  
"What's with you? You can go for days on end without sleep." Navi said pointing a tiny finger under his nose. Link yawned again and blushed because he forgot to cover his mouth.  
  
"Days yes, weeks no." Link said through the yawn. "And I didn't have a very good sleep last night either."  
  
"Weeks?" Navi yelped in surprise. "I've only been missing for one! Don't tell lies Link." Link narrowed his eyes at her in a scowl.  
  
"I'm not lying! I really haven't slept in about a month! I probably had 16 hours of sleep these past two months and you're calling me a liar? Erg! Let me sleep for an hour or so and I'll explain everything alright?" Navi could only nod in submission. Link was tired and she could see that. What really surprised Navi was the fact that he was tired.  
  
'Link has gone through three weeks without sleep when we went and defeated Ganondorf. He should have had some rest in that week I was missing. What has he been doing?' Link tried to make his way over to the door when he was once again foiled by Derek.   
  
"Oh no ya don't! You're sleeping where I can keep an eye on you. You're too important to be let off by yourself. You sleep in here tonight." Too tired to argue, Link was snatched up in Derek's arms and flopped on the bed.  
  
"Thanks." Link mumbled before drifting off to dreamland. Link's breathing became long and deep, signaling that he was asleep. The three boys turned to the other and shot knowing stares to Link.  
"By the great goddesses! What have we gotten ourselves into?" Taro asked in a harsh whisper. "The Hero of Time himself!"  
  
"Keep it down." Growled Cera. Navi and Cera were perched over Link on the headboard protectively over Link. The three boys looked back to the fairies startled.  
  
"Forgot that you were there." Zirain mumbled. "One of you should stay with Epona tonight and the other outside the inn to keep an eye out for trouble." The two fairies looked at the trio suspiciously.  
  
"Don't worry, we'll protect the lad. He'll be safe with us. In fact, I don't think that any of us are going to leave this room tonight." Derek said reassuring the pair. The fairies nodded and went to the window, which Zirain opened for them.  
  
"We'll be back before sunrise." Navi told the teens tartly. "Link had better be here and unharmed when we return." The fairy growled in a threat. Zirain raised his hands in defense and the fairies left.   
  
"Good thinking. You didn't want the fairies to overhear about the tale I take it." Taro said shooting a glance at Link. Zirain nodded his head.  
  
"Interesting isn't it? 'The Hero of Time will come on fire and light. Seeking things that are not of his knowledge to know and collecting the power points to unleash the beast. His shape will change, his power with magic and weapon true. To all that seek him will not know him and he will change the shape of the colors to save Hyrule. He will not choose his point but his point will choose him. That is the way it must be.'" Taro said as if quoting someone of great importance.   
  
"I think we all know what it's meant by 'To all that seek him'. A child! He looks no older than ten years, eleven at the very best!" Zirain said fingering in Link direction. The other two youths nodded.  
  
"Fire and light. That describes Epona and Cera exactly. I wonder though." Derek muttered to himself. Taro looked at Derek's insightful face.  
"What's wrong?" When Derek thought like this, it was cause for alarm. Derek was the one that never pondered things in the group.  
  
"Link says he's not interested in finding his family. Link was only interested in finding his other fairy companion. Now that he has her back, I wonder if he'll be willing to stop this war." Derek said shocking the two boys with his last thought.  
  
"You can't be serious!" Taro said in a harsh whisper. "Link, stop a war! That's impossible! Even with all those magic tricks and weapons, Link can't stop a war by himself!"   
  
"That's why he's going to need us. One of us is going to have to stick with him at all times. You know we were going to go looking for the young green lad to initiate him into our little circle. When one of us is in trouble…" Derek said letting their oath hang in the air.  
  
"Right." Sighed Taro. "What do we do when Link finds out that he has to save Hyrule? We can't tell him outright that we want to help him find his family if he's not interested. We're going to have to think of something." Taro lowered his voice when Link rolled over in his sleep. "We can just expect him to do this."  
  
"We'll ask him about his plans in the morning. If he doesn't have any, we'll take him you-know-where." Zirain said in a whisper. The boys both nodded.  
  
"I can't do it." Zirain said slowly. I have to report tomorrow. Taro?" Taro nodded.   
"That just leaves poor Derek with patrolling in the morning. Get some sleep. You have to get up early if you want to go with Taro and Link." Derek nodded and laid down near the fireplace. "You up for a game of kolpa?"  
  
"You're on!" Taro said with a grin.  
  
Disclaimer: I still don't own Link.  
  
Kolpa by the way is a form of poker in Hyrule ^.~ 


	5. Chapter 5 A new adventure awaits

Chapter 5 Morning  
  
"Yawn!" Link woke up from the first good sleep he had since-since- Wow! Before Ganondorf cursed the Deku tree. Link sighed at the memory and opened one eye. Link looked beyond the bed to see Taro and Derek.  
  
'What time is it?' Link looked past the two to the window. The sun was high in the sky signaling that it was late morning. Link rolled onto his back and rubbed his eyes. Link heard a movement from one of the teens as he did this.   
  
"About time you woke up." Derek said with a friendly grin. "I should have took the late morning patrol instead of the early morning patrol, you slept like the dead kid." Link sat up and stretched his sore muscles.  
  
"Mph!" Taro snickered loudly. Derek's smile grew wider when they saw the state of Link's hair. "Before we do anything, we have to do something about that hair of yours." Link blinked confused.  
  
"What's wrong with my hair?" Link asked the two shrugging boys. "Where are Navi and Cera?" Taro looked behind Link to the headboard. Link turned to see the pair of fairies looking back at Link.  
  
"I think that's your hair problem." Derek said in a snigger. "Two fairies and one head of hair to perch in equals a rat nest. Let's see if we can so anything about that hair and you can tell us how you became the Hero of Time."   
  
"Alright." Link sat on the floor while Taro tried to brush out the youth's hair with a comb. "It all started in the Kokiri forest. In time here, it wouldn't be more than two months ago. I was awakened from my sleep by Navi and was told to go see the great Deku tree. I met my friend Saria on the way there and talked to her about Navi. Before I could enter the Deku tree's clearing, I ran into Mido."  
  
"That Mido's a real jerk." Navi growled during Link's story. Link shot her a glance to shut up. "He is! Mido picks on Link all the time calling him Mr. Nofairy! Then telling him that he had to have a shield and sword before he could go see the Deku tree!"   
  
"Navi! Let me tell the story!" Link growled in her direction. Navi shut up but still glowed as if angry. "After I got the Kokiri sword, and a Deku shield, Mido begrudgingly let me in the clearing. That's where everything went downhill. I learned that the Great Deku Tree had been cursed and I was asked to lift the curse. I went into the great Deku Tree's hollow and defeated the source of the curse. Inside, I found the slingshot I have today and defeated Gohma with it."  
  
"Ech! That was the first and worst battle you ever fought Link." Navi said remembering the horror. Link let a tear slide down his cheek in memory.  
  
"It was all in vain, The Deku Tree died shortly afterwards. Before the tree died, he told me to seek out the princess of destiny in Hyrule Castle and he gave me the Kokiri emerald to take with me. I left the forest." Link rubbed his eyes dry. "Ever since I left the forest afterward, I had nothing but trouble."   
  
"So you tell us, what sort of trouble?" Taro asked pausing to get another knot out of his hair. Link went to explain the trouble getting into the castle with Malon and her father, seeking princess Zelda out, learning the song of the royal family, going back to the forest to find Saria and going to Death Mountain after making a short stop in Kakariko Village.   
  
"I played Saria's Song to their leader Darunia and made him dance like you wouldn't believe. Trust me on this. He then gave me the Goron bracelet you see me wearing and that let me bomb the opening to Dodongo's cavern. I got the bomb bag in there as well and defeated the Dodongo King to let the Gorons in." That got Taro's attention.  
  
"You mean you took on a King and WON? That's incredible! How big was this guy?" Taro asked. Link's goofy grin made Derek wonder something.   
  
"Not very big, he was a little bigger than that Wolfos I fought in Deku Town though." Thump! Derek was on the floor staring wide-eyed at Link.  
  
"No-NOWAY!" Derek squeaked. Link sighed and nodded. By now he was able to do that because his hair was completely brushed through.   
  
"Because of my great deed, I was sworn in as Darunia's blood brother and was given their Goron ruby. That's when I had to make my way to the great fairy's pond high in the mountains." Dead silence passed between the boy's. "What?" Derek shook his head at Link.  
  
"You're amazing do you know that kid?" Taro said in a whisper. Link looked at the two teens in confusion.   
  
"Oh! All great fairies aren't the same you know. Some give you special spells, other's give you special items and some increase your magical powers. I should know, I've seen enough of them. Anyway, after I had the Goron Ruby, I made my way into Zora's Domain. Ergh! What a nightmare that was!"  
  
"You only had to get swallowed by Lord Jabujabu and save the princess. Besides, you got the boomerang out of it and the Zora Sapphire." Navi said landing on his shoulder. Link cringed at the word 'Zora Sapphire'.   
  
"Do I have to remind you that's supposed to be an engagement present!?! I'm still trying to figure out how to get out of that particular mess. I should have known by the way she said 'My most precious possession.' I'd still be clueless if I hadn't gone seven years into the future and been told by Ruto in the water temple."  
  
"You were serious about that!?!" Derek and Taro said in unison. Link blushed terribly and looked down to the floor as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.  
  
"Yes." Link said sheepishly. "And it's still in effect since I got rid of Ganondorf. I tell you, it was tempting to stay in that possible future so I wouldn't have to marry her." Taro suddenly thought of something.  
  
"If you stay here kid, you'll be safe from that." Taro said with a wolfish grin on his face. "No children are allowed to be wed here unless they have a marriage contract between them. No contract, no wedding." Link sat up straight and looked Taro in the eye.  
  
"Are you serious?" Link said eyes brimming with hope. Taro nodded and Link fell back on the bed. "Thank you! Someone up there likes me!"  
  
"That is," Derek continued. "Unless she comes looking for you and makes you sign a contract with her. I've had a few close calls with that myself." Link's smile grew even wider.  
  
"Only I know how to get through the seal that the Deku Tree put up. This is great! I can still live in The Lost Woods and high tail it over here when I hear that she's looking for me." Derek and Taro looked at him strangely. "What?"  
  
"What did you mean by 'seven years into the future' 'possible future' and 'water temple?'" Derek asked. Link went on to explain the long tedious tale of the temples, the master sword, the sages and his trips back and forth. Link finally ended his tale giving some surprising news.  
  
"When I defeated Ganondorf, Zelda sealed him away in the dark realm and I was sent back to my rightful time as a kid. No one remembered me really because only the people most affected by Ganondorf's rule would remember. That includes the Sages, Zelda, Malon, Navi and myself. I remember everything while no one else can hardly recall what happened in the future. They know my exploits as a child but that's it. I can't probably even go see Nabooru in Gerudo Fortress without being thrown in jail again. Technically, the Gerudo pass shouldn't even exist or the items I collected. I have to wait seven years before I can even try wielding the megaton hammer again."  
  
"That still doesn't explain how you can transform your shape." Derek said. Link sighed and continued.  
  
"I know, I'm getting to that." Link went on to tell of his and Navi's separation and his search to find her. "I was actually forced into Termina by a skullkid stealing Epona and cursing me into a Deku body. You wouldn't believe the time I had getting my body back. Anyway, I had to go to the four corners of this place and clear out the evils in their temples."   
  
"Is that how you got the masks?" Cera asked cautiously. Link shook his head. "Thought not. And where does this Tatl come in?"   
  
" She was with the skullkid and was separated when they cursed me. She came along because she knew I would go after him. I had to collect the masks in order to get the fierce deity mask to battle majora. I tell you, that's one battle I'll never forget." Link laid back on the bed staring up at the ceiling.  
  
"So, you were pulled into this land, paired with the enemies fairy, went through similar temples and saved everyone? In just three days?" Link shook his head at Derek's question.  
  
"No, I had help from a song. Every time I played it, it would send me back in time to the beginning with all my masks and abilities in tact. I'm surprised on how many times I did that. I was in a three day time loop for months and only three days passed here."  
  
"What's this fierce deity mask you speak of?" Taro asked in a small voice. Link sat back up on the bed. Looking off into space, he answered.  
  
"Pray that you never have to see me fight in it. That's my all out last-ditch resort mask. If I had that mask before I went into the temples, the bosses wouldn't have stood a second before me." Silence. "And that's just the tip of it. I'm stronger now than ever before because I came prepared this time. I have all of my magical weapons, my spells, my useful masks and more weapons. That doesn't include any of my songs or items like the Goron bracelet or gold scale. Not to mention the abilities that the great fairies granted me in Termina."   
  
"What sort of abilities?" Navi asked excited. Link looked to the excited fairy on his shoulder.   
  
"Well, any damage done to me is now cut in half, I have a longer magic meter and I have the black rose fairy sword." Cera and Navi gasped.   
  
"You mean those abilities stayed with you? I'm impressed." Navi said excited. Only the things Link learned as a child stayed with him from the fairies and that included the three spells of magic.  
  
"Wow! We stayed in here for a long time! Look, the sun is pretty high in the sky." Taro said looking out the window. "In fact, I think Zirain should be coming back soon." Derek looked out the window and nodded.  
  
"What did Zirain have to do today anyway? I knew he was off somewhere but I still don't know where he went." Link asked at the two teens. Derek and Taro did a quick glance in the others direction.  
  
"He had to report to his superior here. I have to go tomorrow." Derek said in a low voice.  
  
"I don't have that problem since I'm a Neutral and I live off of my parents legacy. That's why we are all such good friends; if they get into trouble one of us can at least bail out the other." Link put on his hat that had been sitting beside him on the bed.  
  
"That sounds like a good idea." Link got blank stares from all the people present. "You protect each other and are all good friends. I wish I had someone like that on my journey's other than a fairy partner of course." Link winked at the pair on the headboard. "I really could have used some help in all my wanderings. I probably wouldn't have done something as stupid as let Ganondorf get his hands on the triforce."   
  
"Link?" Derek asked slowly looking at Taro. Taro nodded and smiled. Link looked at Derek.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"How would you like to be an official member of the Trio Hero of Neutral? We could make it a quartet." Link gaped open mouthed at Derek. Link was about to say something when he snapped his mouth shut. "Something wrong?"  
  
"I'd love to be in your group." Link said enthusiastically. Derek and Taro beamed. "But I can't right now." That made the pair stop in shock.  
  
"What? Why?" Taro finally croaked out feeling bitter. Link sighed loudly and shuffled his foot around on the floor as if he was being scolded.  
  
"I made a promise to the mayor of Deku Town that I would try to stop the war that's going on between the Blue and Yellow families. If I was accepted into your group, I would drag you guys into it and I don't think I can do that to you guys." Link said in a low voice. Derek and Taro looked at Link and started laughing. "What's so funny?" Link asked not understanding the situation.  
  
"Here we were worrying about asking you to help us try to stop the war and you've already promised someone else!" Derek said through tears. "That's funny! I can't believe we were so worried about it. Come on! Let's go and wait downstairs to tell Zirain the good news!" Link looked at Derek confused.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Link asked. Taro shook his head.   
  
"It means that you're in. Worried about dragging us into trying to make peace. Hah! We can take care of ourselves in a fight. We aren't called the three hero's for nothing you know." Link cast a confused look to his fairies on the bed.   
  
"Don't ask us. We don't know what they're talking about either." Navi said taking flight. Link was shuffled out the door and down the stairs into the common room. To their surprise, Zirain was just coming through the door. Zirain spotted them instantly and made a motion for them to come outside.  
  
'I wonder what's up.' Link was led to the stable where Epona was kept. 'Zirain looks a little nervous.' When all of them had entered, Zirain started to talk.  
  
"We have big trouble guys!" Link, knowing that wasn't good, looked around to see if anyone was near them. "I just got told to be on battle alert. Battle Alert! You know what that means!" Link looked confused for a moment.  
  
"The kid doesn't. That means that the final battle between Blue and Yellow is near. They alert their followers to be ready and then appoint the time of the battle with their allies. It looks like we may be in for a war." Derek explained. "And that also means that Soaran is going to make a play for power when both sides are weakened." Link swallowed hard.  
  
"What do we have to do?" Link asked in a low tone. "What do we have to do to stop it from happening?" Link was met with serious stares from all three youths.  
  
"First thing I think we should do is collect the pendants of power and stop the alliances from getting involved. That means that Soaran won't make a play for power if he knows that there is a chance that he might be attacked from them." Zirain said to Link. Link's heart skipped a beat.  
  
"The leaders of the alliance can only be set free of the alliance if a promise is broken by another. Say if you were to promise that you would get their cat out of a tree and someone else did it, they could give that pendant to the other person and be free and clear of the alliance." Taro said continuing on. "Somehow, both blue and yellow kingdoms lost their pendants of power a long time ago. The alliance is still in effect though and only losing their pendants will get the four tribes around here out of the war."   
  
"If we could somehow collect the pendant's, put them in their rightful place in the three goddesses temple, we could stop the war." Derek said interrupting Taro. "It sounds a whole lot easier than it's going to be simply because of the missing pendants. There are only four known in existence; Deku, Zora, Goron and Gerudo." Link took a deep breath and calmed himself.  
  
"That's one down and three to go then." Link said quietly earning him looks from his companions. Link pulled out the pendant the Deku Mayor had given him and was rewarded with gasps from the three. Derek's shaking hand took the pendant from Link's outstretched hands. "Is this one of the pendants? Mr. Juba gave it to me when I defeated the Wolfos." Derek looked it over.  
  
"It is! My goddess! I don't believe it! You've started the saving of Hyrule without us kid." Derek handed back the pendant to Link. "It looks like that's the reason the alert's been put up, lady Blue lost one of her alliance members and Yellow smells blood." Link nodded understanding. It was time to go get the other pendants.  
  
"Where are you going?" Taro asked as Link started to mount Epona. Link unhooked Epona's reigns from the stall.  
  
"I'm going to find the other pendants and save Hyrule. I have the Deku pendant that leaves the Zoran, the Gerudo and the Goron to collect. Which one should I do first?" Link asked the teens. Zirain looked thoughtful for a moment.  
  
"Go to the East gates, we will meet you there." Zirain turned to the other two teens. "I think it's time that the trio of Neutral City disbanded. Get your things together because we are leaving Neutral City by ourselves." That made all people stop in their tracks.   
  
"What are you talking about!?!" Cera demanded in Zirain's ear. "You three are good friends! You shouldn't part just because-"  
  
"We are leaving to make sure that we can save Hyrule! Derek, you go to the Goron City atop Misty Mountain. Go to the fountain at exactly noon each day once you get there. Link will try and meet you there as soon as possible. Taro, you go to your aunt in Gerudo Keep. She will contact you once Link is there. Keep your ears open and your mouths shut. If there is any thing that's been bothering the natives, look into it. If anyone asks you why your there, tell them you had a fight in Neutral City with either of us. Once Link and I figure out a way to get the Zora pendant, I'll send Link down the line. We all try to meet back here once the pendants are collected and hope that it's enough to stop the war. Now, let's leave. The guards are on the lookout for fairies so you two will have to fly over the walls and meet Link and I outside the gates. Think you can do it?"   
  
"Shouldn't be a problem." Cera said cheerfully. "Let's go Navi! I can't wait to get this trip started! It sounds like a real adventure."  
  
"You mean it sounds like trouble." Link muttered under his breath. Link didn't exactly know what they all meant by 'down the line' but he guessed it was something important.   
  
"Let's go Link. I have a feeling that we are in for a long day's ride ahead of us still." Zirain gathered up his bag that had been ready in the corner and tugged at Epona's harness. Link said farewell to his comrades and left with Zirain. "Did they take you anywhere today?" Zirain asked once they were out of the city.  
  
"No. We spent most of the day talking in the room." Link said looking around for Navi and Cera. Zirain shook his head.  
  
"I thought not. That's why you guys were still at the inn when I came back. Looks like we're going to have to make a stop." Link didn't notice the comment because he found two little bright lights out in the distance.   
  
"Pheeeew!" Link let out a loud whistle that made Zirain cover his ears. The two lights became brighter as they neared the pair on the ground.  
  
"Juta! You certainly have a healthy set of lungs! The only person who can whistle like that I know of is Lord Hunter himself." Zirain chuckle at Link's embarrassed blush. "Isn't anything to be embarrassed about even though you probably called all the dogs in the neighborhood." Link went even more crimson.  
  
"Link!" Navi called out as soon as she was in range. Link waved and the two dots of light settled on Link's hat. "That was easy. Now what happens?" Navi asked shooting a glance to Zirain. Link shrugged his shoulders and leapt off of Epona.  
  
"Up you go." Link said to Zirain motioning him to get on Epona. "Just point me in the direction and we can get there a lot faster." Zirain looked at Link as if he was deranged.  
  
"Are you mad?" Zirain asked. "You should ride Epona, I'm older and I'll be able to keep up with her at a trot." Link put up his hand to silence him.  
  
"Are you forgetting to whom you are talking to? I can keep up to Epona at a dead run, not a trot." Zirain sighed and climbed up on Epona. Link pulled out his bunny hood and put it on. When Link heard a snort that wasn't a horses, he looked up to see Zirain barely containing his laughter.  
  
"You look cute kid." Zirain commented through a loud snigger. Link smiled almost instantly and grabbed Epona's reigns.  
  
"Which direction?" Link asked still grinning.   
  
"Just go straight until we come to the fork in the road that splits three ways." Zirain said casually. Link grinned and turned towards the road.  
  
"Hang on." Link and Epona went off at a dead run catching Zirain off guard. Zirain let out a startled gasp and held on for dear life as the field scenery whirled by in a haze. Link was a blur in a bunny hood. It wasn't too long before Link slowed as he saw the fork in the road ahead. Zirain finally had the courage to look up when Epona came to a complete stop.  
  
"We can't be there yet!" Zirain said in a small squeak. Link took off his bunny hood when he stopped directly before the three forks in the road.  
  
"Now where?" Link asked looking at the center road. For some strange reason, he felt an urge to go in that direction. Zirain got off Epona and winced. Navi and Cera floated out of Link's hat and floated about two feet from Link.  
  
"I sense something Link." Navi said circling the place where the three roads forked. "There's something here."   
  
"Where do these roads lead?" Link asked Zirain. Navi didn't like being ignored and fluttered around Link's head.  
  
"Well, the one to the right leads to Gerudo Keep, the one in the middle goes to Hunter's capital; Topaz City. We are going to the left, that's Zora territory and my village." Link looked to the left road. On the signpost, it read 'Watercrest City and Bulbbe Village'. Link guessed that Zirain was from Bulbbe.  
  
"Link!" Cera growled at the young boy.  
  
"Now what?" Link asked growling at the pair of fairies that were trying to get his attention. "I know there's something there. We can check it out when we're not trying to save Hyrule!"  
  
"Actually, they're right. Taro and Derek were supposed to bring you here today in the early morning. You see Link, this spot is why the trio hero's of Neutral City exists." Zirain dropped his bag on the ground and pulled something out.  
  
"What are you doing Zirain?" Link asked trying to look over his shoulder. Link then noticed that he had armor and a sword in the bag. A BIG sword and shiny armor. "Whoa."  
  
"These were given to us by the Great Fairy of War. It was during our young years when we first met and - I won't go into details but we ended up here at this junction and in trouble. There was a bright light and we disappeared. The Great Fairy of War had saved us and decreed that it was our job to become the best warriors in the known lands of Hyrule. I don't know what spell she cast but, Taro became quicker, Derek became smarter and I became -well- smarter in a way. I could handle any type of weapon because of my upbringing so there wasn't any reason to adapt my body. I was not a tactician and that got us into trouble. We did as we were told and have become the warrior's she wished us to be."  
  
"So the Great Fairy of War is here? How do we get to her?" Link asked excited at the prospect of getting another ability or item. Zirain scratched his head sheepishly.  
  
"I don't rightly know. We all come back once a year since it happened to see if it'd work again and every year nothing happens. This time might be different because you're here. Let's try going to the spot." Link obediently followed Zirain's directions and stood in the spot.  
  
"Now what?" Link asked. Before anyone could answer, Link was blinded by a flash of pure white light and seemed to vanish into nothingness.  
  
"Link!" Navi shouted into the early evening fields of yellow Hyrule. Link was nowhere to be found.  
  
'Zirain?' Link's thoughts were blurry and disoriented. Link's eyes were open though he couldn't really see anything that looked familiar. It was if light had suddenly burst from the ground below him and engulfed his being. Link stopped floating with a sudden flash of red light and he found himself on the smooth floor of a fairy fountain.   
  
"Welcome Hero of Time." Link sat up to see a great fairy. There were always subtle differences between great fairies, where it was the shape of the nose, hair color or their laughter; this fairy however was noticeably special. Instead of vines covering her body, sleek folds of metal encompassed her modesty and her hair was white as snow. Link thought that she didn't look like any Great Fairy of War to him.  
  
"Um Hello? Are you the Great Fairy of War?" Link asked in a timid voice. The fairy let out a laugh like all great fairies do.  
  
"Indeed I am. Well young one, shall I examine you to see what needs done? It will tingle for just a few moments." Link let out a small gasp as a white glow enveloped his body. When the glow died down, Link let out a shiver; he never got used to the magical aura of these great fairies.   
  
'How can one being have so much power?' Link asked himself. 'I mean how do they get it? Is it given to them or do they make magic themselves?' Link's pondering came up short when the great fairy turned her attention on him.  
  
"Well, it seems that I have a dilemma on my hands. You are quick witted, fast and strong so I can clearly not enhance one of those abilities for you. Ah, you also have other great fairies powers. Hmmm, you have a sword technique also; Din's fire, Farore's wind and Nayru's love. My goodness! You even have the black rose fairy sword. Well! This won't do at all! I will just simply skip the small things and give you this." Link felt the transfer of magic like always and was surprised to see another spell in his items called Din's power.  
  
"What does it do?" Link asked the fairy. Link looked up to see himself back on the road staring at Navi.   
  
"Link!" Cera and Navi floated into Link's personal space each hugging a cheek. "I'm so glad you're alright! What happened?" Navi asked in a worried tone. Link held the new spell stone in his hand.  
  
"I saw the Great Fairy of War and she gave me a spell called Din's power. I wonder what it does." Link held out the stone and concentrated.   
  
'No time like the present to find out.' Link was now in his magic trance for the spell. Link knew that he did some sort of steps and said a few words to cast the spells but he wasn't prepared for what happened next. Link held up the stone in his left hand mumble the incantation and a red whirlwind encircled his body. When he was done, his whole body was giving off a red miasma.   
  
"Whoa." Zirain said in awe. Link flexed his muscles and found it to be the same. Link didn't feel any different but knew that he was full of power. "Nice, you probably could pick up a boulder and throw it over your shoulder as if it were salt." Zirain said while getting back up on Epona. "Well? Let's go! We have a Hyrule to sa-"  
  
"BRAAAAT!" A trumpet sounded in the distance. Navi and Cera were so alarmed that they instantly went under Link's hat. Link looked down to see that he was still glowing! There would be no way to explain this to whoever was coming up the road! Link took out his stone mask and put it on.  
  
"Link?" Zirain whispered. Link took hold of Epona's harness and led her to the other side of the road so whoever was coming could pass. Link saw the yellow banners first. It was a group of about six people. One person was holding the yellow banner with a lion on it, four were heavily adorned in armor and weapons and one person was in the middle of the group.  
  
'I've never seen such blue eyes!' Link thought in wonder. The man had black hair and the deepest blue eyes that Link had ever seen beside his own. Link studied his more adept features; long well muscled legs, medium build, not too brawny except for his arms. 'Probably a mean swordsman.' The man carried with him a bow and three swords. The bow was slung over his back along with his biggest sword. The other two swords were more delicate and strapped to his waist. He was riding a beautiful black mare that was saddled up with the most beautiful saddle Link had ever seen.   
  
"Hold!" The man suddenly shouted. Link's heart leapt in his throat. The man and his group stopped near Link, Epona and-  
  
'Where's Zirain?' Link looked around to see Zirain kneeling beside Epona. Link hadn't even heard him getting off her! Link chokingly put his attention back to the man. He trotted his horse up to Zirain and Epona. Link quietly made his way over to the other side of Epona.  
  
"Rise." Said the man. Zirain did as told and rose to his feet "You are Zirain are you not?" Zirain swallowed to dampen his throat.  
  
"Yes sir. My Lord Hunter." Link turned his head quickly in the direction of Zirain before he looked back to Hunter. Hunter chuckled.  
  
"Good to see that I'm still known among the lower ranks. Tell me hero of Neutral. Where are you going with such a marvelous creature as this? I have never seen such a fine horse before even though it is just a colt." Link swallowed hard. Zirain didn't even flinch.  
  
"I'm taking the colt to Watercrest. For a friend sir." Zirain said with little hesitance. Link looked to Hunter and prayed to Din that he would accept the answer. Hunter nodded.   
  
"I see. Care to give me the name? I might want to purchase such a fine beauty as her and breed her someday." Link closed his eye's shut. Link's first thoughts were on the fine line of don'tdoitdon'tdoitdon'tdoit!  
  
"I'm afraid I don't think that he'll sell sir. Epona is one of his prized possessions and trained to be loyal to him. The only reason he let me ride her was because she likes me well enough that she wouldn't buck me off as soon as I climb into the saddle." Hunter frowned at this knowledge then shrugged it off.  
  
"Alright then, best be on your way. Be ready for the upcoming battle, we are going to crush the Blue family." Hunter didn't seem too enthusiastic to Link though. Link thought he was being more disheartened than boastful. Link let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"Yes sir!" Zirain saluted the man. Hunter did something then that made Link's hair stand on end. Hunter stared directly at him. Link knew that Hunter shouldn't be able to see him. Yet, Hunter's gaze fell on where Link was standing and Link almost backed away at his gaze.  
  
'How could Zirain talk to Hunter without quivering in his boots? I'm scared out of my ever loving mind!' Link closed his eyes and shuddered. Then, there was a noise of horses thundering away and Link opened his eyes. To his relief, Hunter was on his way to Neutral.   
  
'There was something wrong with Zirain or that horse.' Hunter grumped to himself. 'I spent enough time around my beloved to sense that there was great magical power in the vicinity.   
  
"Sir?" Hunter turned to his life long friend and right hand man Souta. Souta was Zirain's uncle so he knew the boy well. Zirain was a loyal blue soldier that had marvelous potential. The only flaw with the lad was that he insisted that he be sent to patrol in Neutral City.  
  
"What is it?" Hunter asked in a gruff tone. Souta leaned over in his saddle towards his mentor. Souta didn't want all the other guards present to hear what he was about to say obviously so Hunter did the same.  
  
"I sensed something strange back there. Did you?" Hunter nodded. "If I didn't know any better sir, I would have sworn my nephew had a pendant on him. I didn't see any ruffles in his tunic however. Do you think it be wise to send someone after him?" Hunter weighed his options for a moment.  
  
"It couldn't hurt to send someone after him, just to make sure that he's telling the truth. Zirain would know that he was being followed though, bright kid that he is. I don't think we can spare the manpower right know though. The Zora's are very disgruntled right now and I'm at my wit's end. I don't think he's lying about that horse not being his and I know for sure that he was telling the truth about taking it to Watercrest City for a friend."  
  
"My Lord?" Souta asked puzzled. Hunter looked up at his friend.   
  
"Come off it man! You know that your brother's boy has that Neutral nobleman as a friend. I think that it's his horse that's being taken to Watercrest. For his reason, I don't know. Still, I sensed something magical about them. Do you think that he was hiding something other than the owner's name?"   
  
"Yes." Souta said turning back in his saddle. "I wouldn't put it past him to be up to something. You know how kids are these days." Hunter pondered the strange encounter until they reached the City gates where Soaran was waiting to greet him.  
  
That's it for this chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: Link isn't mine. *sob* 


	6. Chapter 6 Watercrest

Chapter 6 Late that night  
  
"That was a close call today." Link mumbled sleepily. It was late in the day and they had reached Bulbbe Village without another hitch. To Link's surprise, he found out that Zirain didn't live in the village as a kid but on the training encampment in Watercrest City.  
  
"That wasn't any sort of a close call compared to what you went through." Zirain said with a chuckle. Link had taken a break from running and basically told Zirain the same things as he had Taro and Derek. Zirain was slightly shocked as the other two were at his story but more curious about things.   
  
"It still was a close call." Link said rolling over on his futon. Link and Zirain had checked into the inn shortly after sunset and were both beat. When Link offered to pay for the room, Zirain shook his head saying that he could handle such things. When Link insisted that he could spare more than enough ruppie's, Zirain's eyes went wide in shock. Later, Zirain had explained that the currency was very rare here and worth a whole lot more than he could imagine. Link still felt guilty though that he was mooching off of someone else's purse.   
  
"Hunter's a puzzle I tell you." Zirain said with a sigh. "I don't know the man well but I know enough of him that he doesn't like the war." Link rolled back towards Zirain.  
  
"Then why continue it? Why not offer a peace offering?" Link asked in a sleepy voice. Zirain chuckled again.  
  
"That's the puzzle boy. No one knows what happened when he disappeared for that year he was missing." Link sat bolt-upright knocking Navi out of her sleeping quarters.   
  
"Hey! I was trying to sleep you know!" Navi scolded Link as he tried to remember something that the mayor of Deku town had told him. Navi went back to sleep.  
  
"I know why." Link said in a small voice. Zirain laughed softly. "When I was in Deku town, the mayor told me of this lands history; that when the first battle started up, two of the opposite royals met up and battled. It resulted in a draw and that they fell in love and were forced into hiding. In hiding something happened to them both resulting in their separation. Do you think that it could have been Hunter and this Lady Blue? They keep the war going because of what happened." Zirain's head shot out of the blanket and he looked astonished at Link.  
  
"Uh-er-uh." Zirain sputtered incoherently. Link looked down and covered his mouth in a thinking position. Link puzzled over something when Zirain finally spat out. "I don't know. It's possible but very unlikely."   
Link finally came out of his thoughts.  
  
"If two people loved enough to forsake their families and go into hiding, what in all of the heavens would break them apart so badly that they would hate so fiercely? It doesn't make sense." Link closed his eyes in concentration, trying to figure out the mystery.  
  
"I can tell you the reason if that's true. Love and hate are like two sides of the same coin. You can love a person deeply and if betrayed, you can hate them just as deeply because they hurt you." Zirain said softly. Link looked back up to the teen sleeping on the bed.  
  
"Did you?" Link asked in a small voice. Link didn't want to impose but he knew that he needed this answer.  
  
"No, but my mother did. She was a wise woman beyond her years and had gone through the experience herself. I love my mother but she did something that made my father hate her for the rest of her life." Zirain said bitterly. Zirain was silent signaling that he didn't want to talk about it anymore.  
  
"Oh." Link said in hurt tone. "Well, at least you had a mother that loved you. I had no one. The Deku tree raised me as a Kokiri, I can't act any other way." Link turned over to go to sleep leaving a gaping Zirain.  
  
"You-you didn't have parents?" Zirain whispered in disbelief. Link settled in to his futon and snuggled closer to Navi and Cera.  
  
"I was raised as a Kokiri. Kokiri are the children of the forest, we work, we make our own garb, gather our own food and interact like grown ups. As soon as I could walk, The Great Deku tree let me wander the forest freely. I can't remember the first time I met Saria because she was always there for me; my best friend. I used to get teased a lot because all Kokiri have a fairy and I didn't." Link paused for a moment. "That's why I had to find Navi, she was my first fairy partner. Without Navi, I don't feel complete as a Kokiri or as a person. I love her." Zirain was silent for a moment.  
  
"I didn't know." Link wiped away a tear that he didn't know had fallen. "That must have been a lonely childhood." Link smiled in the dark.  
  
"It wasn't lonely, it was loveless. There was always someone there to keep you from being lonesome but I didn't feel that I was loved. It's all right though. It made me independent and strong. If I wasn't raised as a Kokiri, I doubt I would have survived the first leg of my journey as the Hero of Time. Goodnight Zirain, see you in the morning." Link went to sleep soundly in the presence of a pondering teen.  
  
'It couldn't be could it? What if-Hunter had been gone a year. That's just enough time to. No! What am I thinking!?! Hunter wouldn't have done it! Still-' Zirain looked down to Link laying on the futon with two bright lights beside his pillow. '-it would be interesting if it was true.'  
  
Soaran Tower  
  
"Thank you Soaran. I knew I could count on you for the advice." Hunter said across the table from the wizard. Soaran's eyes brightened almost magically as soon as he saw the man at the gates.   
  
"Think nothing of it. I still would like something in return though." Soaran said in a casual tone. Hunter looked at him suspiciously. "I would just like to know how you're doing; politically speaking of course." Hunter nodded and downed another tankard.  
  
"I have had no trouble with the Gerudo lately. Their Sunset Festival is coming up shortly you know and I'm excited to see which one of my Blue's get close to that pendant." Soaran's eyes sparked the moment Hunter had said pendant.  
  
"Festival? What festival?" Soaran asked innocently. Hunter motioned for more wine and laughed.  
  
"That's right! You don't know much about the Gerudo customs do you? Well, every two years they have the Sunset festival. I send my best spies and thieves to participate in the running. Their pendant of loyalty is put in the center of that keep of theirs and they go onto their best war alert mode. Our allies send the best thieves they have to go and try to steal the pendant to keep the guards sharp at their posts. They always get caught of course and are released after sunrise." The servant had come back and filled Hunter's glass again. Hunter took a good long swig of the fruity drink.  
  
"Why after sunrise?" Soaran asked interested.   
  
"Oh! Stealing the pendant isn't enough! You have to take it to the appointed temple out in the jungle in order to win the pendant. No one's ever been close enough to even get near the pendant let alone take it out of the place. You should see it! The keep is so large and you can't use any sort of magic getting it out either. It has to be pure skill. The pendant will nullify magic as soon as you touch it." Soaran let out a small frown at the no magic policy that had been set up by the pendant.  
  
"Speaking of thieves, I had one in my tower last night." Soaran said in a bitter tone. Hunter sputtered out his drink into his cup.  
  
"What!?!" Hunter demanded wiping his chin with his sleeve. Tear's came to Soaran's eyes.  
  
"It's true! Little beggar came in and stole a very important, valuable commodity of mine. I couldn't believe it! I had trouble casting a tracing spell I have put on the bottle to find it in an alleyway outside the walls. Outside the walls! I think you should look into this matter. It could be important." Soaran growled.   
  
"Why can't you look into it yourself?" Hunter asked sipping from his cup again. Soaran frowned.  
  
"I don't have the resources to deal with these sort of things." Soaran pouted totally innocent. Hunter sighed.  
  
"What was stolen?" Hunter asked as if bored. Soaran leaned forward on the table.  
  
"A fairy." Again, Hunter spit out his wine. This time however, the drink didn't land in his cup and Soaran was forced to wipe away spittle from his forehead before continuing.   
  
Dawn  
  
Link awoke with a yawn. Last night Link had dreamed that he had been in the Lost Woods playing with Saria along on his ocarina. It was a nice dream although a little strange at the end.   
  
'Why would I dream about something I have never seen before?' Link thought puzzled. Link could remember dreaming about a huge white beast with wings that came at the sound of his ocarina. It looked like a white Siberian Tiger, glowing green eyes, majestic silver wings, sharp claws and a long fluffy tail. It looked ferocious and cute at the same time if that were possible.   
  
"Morning Link!" Cera greeted in her usual perky way. Link heard a moan come from Zirain signaling that he was just waking up as well. Link stretched and yawned.  
  
"Good morning everyone. Shall we get going?" Link put on his tunic and that's when he realized something.  
  
'Those pendants that the Deku sprout gave me are still here and the one I found in the tower. Could they be the missing pendants? Probably not but I should probably put them in subspace so I won't lose them somewhere.' Link made a quick item change and decided to wear the one that the mayor of Deku Town gave him. Ready for the day, Link and Zirain left the inn where they had spent the night and made there way to Epona.  
  
"No riding today. Watercrest City doesn't allow horses in it so we'll have to tie her up outside the city somewhere." Link shook his head. "What? Why not? I know you're attached to her but-" Link interrupted his thoughts by unlatching Epona from the post and proceeded to walk out of the small village.  
  
"Epona doesn't need to be tied up. If I want her, I can call her on this." Link flashed his ocarina at Zirain. The teen looked confused at Link. "I have a special song that Epona comes to even though we're miles apart." Link explained.  
  
"I'll believe it when I see it." Zirain chuckled out of habit then stopped. "Maybe I should re-evaluate that. You can do some pretty amazing things." Link grinned and stopped; they were outside the village. Zirain was surprised when Link gave a slap on Epona's rump that sent the horse galloping away.   
  
"Believe it." Link said with a smug look on his face. Link followed Zirain up the path that led to Watercrest City.  
  
Deku Town.  
  
"Where it he!?!" A feminine voice roared at the top of their lungs as they made their way through the mayor's doors. Mr. Juba gave a loud sigh and went to greet his Lady Blue's fierce temper.  
  
"Harvester, what can I do for you?" Mr. Juba asked politely as he made his way to his front door. The dazzling woman in blue turned her brown eyes to the short Deku mayor. Juba almost blanched when he saw the true anger in her eyes; she was nothing short of furious!   
  
"You! How could you!?! I sent my finest blue contingency here to protect your village from that Wolfos and the yellow's attack. Is it true? Did you really give the pendant to-to that marauder HUNTER!?!" Juba backed away from the lady in sheer caution.  
  
"No lady I did not. I gave the pendant to the one that saved my village and I from that accursed Wolfos." Juba said in a defiant voice. "You broke your promise, I had no choice." Harvested pursed her lips together in an angry scowl.  
  
"I did my best!" she growled in a low tone. Juba casually waved a hand to the side brushing off the indignant comment.   
  
"I have no doubt that you did do your best. Your best was not enough though to protect me. My life was nearly snuffed out that night. A hero came out of nowhere and saved me from a terrible fate and took me to safety. Without thought to his own health, he slew the rampaging Wolfos. It was really a sight to behold; he killed it with minimal damage to the pelt."  
  
"I did not come here to discuss what happened. What done is done. I came here to try and reclaim your membership to the alliance. Where is this hero so I can try to talk sense into the man?" Harvester's tone had gone from a deadly growl to a hopeful whimper. Juba shook his head.  
  
"I'm sorry, he went on his way. Before you ask, yes he took the pendant with him and our loyalty as well." Harvester's eyes were almost glazed over with tears. "Now, dear. Don't be like that. The only thing I'm going to tell you is that he wasn't a yellow or a blue; there is no need to worry if you think we'll have to fight against you. It's also the last person you would expect to have our loyalty." Harvester took a long deep breath to control herself.  
  
"What of the news of my patrols? Is it true?" Harvester asked in a shaking voice. Sadly, the Deku mayor nodded. "Dear goddess! What's next?"  
  
"Don't be that way, they saw him battle the Wolfos. I am not surprised that they wish to remain here loyal to us. Most of them were badly injured during the fight so they couldn't move back home if they wanted to. It really was miraculous the way he slew that Wolfos. Would you like to see the pelt? I put it on display out in the courtyard." Harvester shook her head.  
  
"I must go. I have a battle to plan for and I cannot waste my time here. Goodbye Juba, I hope our next meeting will be on better terms." With that, the ravishing Lady Blue with sun spun gold hair and chocolate brown hair left the Deku in his home.  
  
"It will be, just you wait and see." Mumbled the Deku as soon as he was sure she had left.   
  
Watercrest  
  
Link had seen Zora's Domain and the area around the Great Bay Coast but what awaited him in Watercrest City startled him. There was no waterfall, no fresh water source and the sea wasn't too inviting for it looked poisoned.   
  
"What in Nayru's name happened here?" Zirain asked in awe. Link knelt by the dry riverbed that should have supplied the Zora's and people in the smaller grass huts with fresh water. Obviously, something was wrong.  
  
"It looks like their water was cut totally off." Link observed. "If it had been a gradual thing, the water levels would have left a ring around on the riverbed. It's as if someone turned a faucet." Zirain bent down to where Link was.   
  
"You're a smart kid. Where did you learn that?" Zirain asked seeing that Link was right. Link stood up quickly that earned him a rap on the head from Cera.  
  
"Just because we're hiding doesn't mean that we're not here!" Scolded Navi lightly. Link nodded gently and started walking towards the sea.  
  
"I learned that in Termina. Why is the sea looking like that? I've never seen a sea that was actually poisonous before." Link said as he crouched to the mouth of the river. Zirain walked up behind him.  
  
"This is the cursed sea. The water from the waterfall cleansed the curse and made it a freshwater sea. With the water gone, it's gone back to its cursed state and in the high season too. There goes their seaweed crop. If they don't do something soon, they will either have a drought or will go bankrupt because of the seaweed." Link nodded at this information. "I'm betting on the drought though. It doesn't rain here at all. I think that we should go see the regent Zora. His name's Horaku."  
  
"Let's be on our way then." Link followed Zirain through the small hut and before Link knew it, he was led into the surrounding caves along the shoreline. This was where Link finally felt that it was a Zoran City. The caves would have been beautifully illuminated had there been water running through the canal that Zirain was walking by.  
  
"I can't believe Lord Hunter let it get this bad." Zirain mumbled. "This place is dryer than a rock in the scorching sun in the desert." Link had to agree. This place felt like a sauna but not a drop of water was to be found. Soon, they had arrived at a big entranceway that Link could only describe as masterfully carved. There were intricate pictures of Zora's swimming, Zora's working and even Zora's festivals.   
  
'It looks like these people are proud of what they do. I wonder why Hunter would ignore such a big problem as this.' Zirain stopped Link before they walked through.  
  
"I know these people. Let me do all the talking." Link nodded. Link walked behind Zirain as he pushed open one of the intricately carved wooden doors. That's when Link heard the voices.  
  
"We need to clear out as much seaweed as we can before the whole sea is tainted!" A Zora voice yelled. Link cringed at the sound of voice's arguing.  
  
"Nay! We need to destroy the rattacks in the clear waterway. If the water is purified again, there would be no need to rush." Growled a human voice.  
  
"How well did that work the last time you tried that? I say we clear out as much seaweed as we can and-" Link peered from behind Zirain to see a human in yellow armor and a Zora wearing forest green yelling their throats out before a Zora behind a desk. The Zora behind the desk obviously had a headache by the way his flippers were rubbing his temple. Zirain was about to say something when the Zora finally lost his temper.  
  
"ENOUGH!" The loud roar silenced the two before the desk. "Have you forgotten that's not our main problem right now. Our people of dying of thirst and I cannot do a thing to help them. The water shipment has been sabotaged, Hunter will not help because of the upcoming battle and we are getting weaker. An attack on the waterway is just suicide right now. No, we need fresh water and we need it right now!" Barked the Zora. Silence. Zirain took the opportunity to butt in the conversation.  
  
"It seems things are a lot worse than you thought Link. Greeting you old fish. I would ask how things were going but it seems that I already have a clue." All three in the room turned to the newcomers.  
  
"Zirain? Is that you?" Asked the soldier in armor. Zirain nodded and Link smiled. It was obvious that the two knew each other. It was silent in the room for a moment. "Zirain. You certainly picked the wrong time to come back to your old roost. What is the hero of Neutral City doing here? Did you come to help us?" Zirain shook his head.  
  
"I never knew that you were of such a plight. I came here to ask Horaku a favor but it seems that can wait. What happened here?" Link and Zirain listened closely to the events of the last few weeks in mute horror. Link had been right; the water just stopped flowing without reason. When they tried to go to clear cavern, the source of the water, they were attacked. Link listened closely to the details on how the rattacks fought and tormented their inhabitants. Rage silently boiled in Link's stomach.  
  
"How I wish that it would rain. At least then we could have some water. The people are dying. We cannot do anything to help them. Zirain? Would you do this for me? Would you please help us in trying to find a water source so my people won't die?" Flabbergasted at the plea for help, Zirain froze on the spot. Link then thought of a way to help the Zora regent.  
  
"Zirain, grab a bucket." Link ordered. That's when everyone in the room noticed Link for the first time.  
  
"Who is this? A friend of yours?" Horaku asked eyeing Link. Zirain nodded dumbly. Link made his way towards the door. "Where are you going?"  
  
"I was serious Zirain. Grab a bucket and meet me outside. Tell your people to do the same." Link was given odd looks of disbelief. "Are you coming or not?" Link asked as he walked out the door. Zirain came back to his senses and picked up the nearest jar he could find.  
  
"What are you doing?" Derano the old soldier asked. Zirain looked back to the three still standing in the room.  
  
"I would do as he says. That is no ordinary kid that walked out of here. Alert your people to standby with buckets. I don't know what Link's up to but I know that it will work." Zirain then dashed out the door leaving the three speechless.  
  
"What should we do?" Asked Horaku looking at Derano. Derano shook his head and made a movement towards the door.  
  
"I don't know about anyone else here but I for one am going to grab a bucket." Link charged out the caverns and found himself looking over the cliffs. The huts below seemed to blend in the sandy dunes and Link growled to no one in general.  
  
'How dare they! Don't they realize that they're killing an entire species? An entire race of people? I won't stand for it.' Link took a deep breath to control his anger.  
  
"Link?" Link looked to his left to see Zirain with a jar. Link nodded and found a place to sit. When Link was firmly seated by two stones, he pulled out his ocarina. "Link? What are you doing?" Link ignored the question and put the instrument to his lips.  
  
'I hope this works.' Link then began to play an older song that he had learned twice in his travels; the song of storms. Zirain gaped in disbelief as Link started playing on his ocarina and a haze suddenly appeared at his feet. The haze shot straight up into the atmosphere overhead and seemed to get bigger. In fact, clouds began to form. Zirain's jaw dropped considerably when he felt a raindrop tickle his nose. Link was still playing. Astonished gasps were heard from behind Zirain and he looked to see Horaku and Derano with jars of their own.   
  
"Told you so." Zirain said with a grin. Water began to pour from the sky and excited shouts could be heard from the caverns. Zoran and human alike shouted to bring more buckets and to hurry. Link focused everything he had into the song and the clouds grew bigger. Hours went by and Link continued to play the song of storms.  
  
'I can't stop now. I have to let the Zoran's collect enough water to drink. I have to keep playing. I have to -*" Link's last thoughts were actually a prayer to Din that he had done enough for the Zoran's could survive until the waterway was clear. Link collapsed into Zirain's arms shivering from the wet and cold.  
  
Don't worry. I won't kill Link ....yet.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Hyrule or Link. (Damn Zelda got dibbs! Nintendo too!) 


	7. Chapter 7 Waterslide!

Chapter 7 Next day  
  
"Link?" Link opened one eye groggily as he tried to sit up. Link was greeted by Zirain's smiling face and Horaku's wide eyes. "About time you got up." Zirain teased. "You slept like a baby. I was beginning to think you had drowned from your own song." Link laughed nervously and sat up. Horaku cleared his throat.  
  
"It's an honor to meet you Hero of Time." Horaku said with a pleasant smile. Link groaned and cast an accusing glance at Zirain. Zirain looked defensive and held up his hands.  
  
"Don't look at me! He figured it out on his own!" Horaku laughed at Zirain and rose from his chair. Link then noticed Navi and Cera on the table.  
  
"Don't fret about it. There are many Zora prophecies that would foretell of your arrival. Your bringing rain to where none should have been confirmed it. I have never seen that type of magic before, where did you learn such a spell?" Link blushed in embarrassment and glanced away.  
  
"Actually, the magic is the song itself. I'm a mediator in these sorts of things." Link said with his cheeks burning. Horaku laughed his deep watery laugh again.  
  
"You were no mere mediator in casting that spell. That was some piece of work. Thanks to you, my people have enough water to last them a few days. I am very grateful for your help." Link nodded and tried to get out of the bed. "I also know why you're here. I'm afraid that I can't give my pendant to while we are still in danger."  
  
"Horaku." Zirain growled in a warning tone. Horaku cast a sharp glance to the teen at the table.  
  
"He needs to know! Unless those rattacks are cleared from that cave, I can't give him the pendant. I need Hunter's help in this." Horaku growled back at Zirain. Link chuckled at their small argument. Why argue about it when the obvious answer had just woken up.  
  
"You two are being silly. The answer is painfully obvious! I'll go and get the water flowing again." Link stretched and hopped out of bed. Horaku and Zirain looked at Link blankly.  
  
"You can't be serious." Horaku sputtered. Zirain leaned back in his chair sighing.  
  
"Oh he's serious all right. Just don't ask him to clear all of your harvest after it's over, I'm sure he would find a way to do it." Zirain growled. Horaku looked at Link with an incredulous look. Link put on his tunic and found that the Deku pendant was still there. Horaku noticed something for the first time and decided to ask.  
  
"Why do you wear green little one?" Horaku emphasized on 'little'. "You wear neither blue nor yellow and Zirain say's your not from Neutral City." Link tucked his ocarina away and went to strap on his mirror shield and sword.  
  
"I'm from the Lost Woods beyond the seal. I live with the Kokiri and they all wear green." Zirain belly laughed at the look he received from Horaku. Link's matter-of-fact tone had left the Zora looking more like a fish than usual. It was too much of a shock for the poor Zora to take and he sat down abruptly in his seat once more.  
  
"B-beyond the seal?" Squeaked Horaku. Link nodded and finished getting dressed. Navi and Cera fluttered to Link's hat.  
  
"We really have to find another hiding place. Your hat is just too crowded." Navi muttered in Link's ear. Link let out a sigh and fit his hat so they would have more room.  
  
"Better?" Link asked. Navi pat his head. "So, where is this entrance to the waterway? I would like to get this done as quickly as possible." Horaku blinked at the young child in surprise and sighed. There was no way around this was there?  
  
Watercrest waterway.  
  
Horaku led Link to the opposite side of the waterbed that they had stopped to look at. Link scanned the cliffs for any sign of life. There was none.  
  
"This cave leads to the source of the waterfall. If you somehow manage to defeat the rattacks inside, we can get the water to flow again. I wish you well but I must go now." Link nodded in thanks and let the man disappear into the dunes. Link nodded to Navi and Cera and he took out his ocarina.  
  
"Well, we should get going. What are we waiting for! Let's go Link. Link?" Zirain had just enough time to see Link putting his lips to the ocarina of time. Link played the Goron's Lullaby and Zirain crumpled to the ground as if he dropped of exhaustion.   
  
"Sorry about this." Link muttered into Zirain's ear as he flipped him over. "I can't fight when distracted. Cera, keep an eye on Zirain for me. Navi and I will go and check out the cave." Cera sighed but agreed to keep Zirain there. Link and Navi ventured forth into the cave.  
  
"Just like old times huh Link?" Navi whispered. Link and Navi entered a cavern much like Zora's Domain and Link nodded. Navi searched the area by flying and found no trace of a rattack. "Nothing. Not a single monster."  
  
"That's good. Let's go farther in. There must be something up higher and deeper in the cave." Link followed Navi as she lit the way for Link. Link was so jumpy that he dared not explore the cavern. It was too dark. At least in the ice cave in Zora's Domain you could see something but there was no light here except for Navi's light.  
  
'There's something wrong about this.' Link thought worried. They ventured deeper into the cave when Navi found something.  
  
"Link! Over here!" Link ran to Navi's light and found the remains of a yellow warrior. Very disturbing because it wasn't eaten yet and days old flesh still hung to the bones. "I think I'm going to be sick." Navi whimpered. Link ignored the smell of decaying tissue and trod on through the pitch-blackness.  
  
'I should have been attacked by now. Why aren't the rattacks coming out?' Then, Navi fluttered in front of his nose.  
  
"I think we're being followed." Navi whispered into his ear. "I don't know for sure but they aren't coming too close. They seem to skitter away like frightened children." Realization hit Link hard.  
  
"Navi! It's you! They're afraid of the light! Remember when we heard their first attempts to come in? Their torches were blown out first." Link said loudly. "That means they don't like fire." Navi saw Link's wicked grin and sighed.   
  
'That means I can use Din's fire and my fire arrows to beat them back. I can probably use my arrows of light too! If things get desperate, I can always blast my way out as well.' Link thought smug. Link always liked monsters that were afraid of fire; it made Link's life a whole lot easier.  
  
"Come on! We have to find where they have blocked the water." Link and Navi ventured forth in the cavern. Link had his sword at the ready and had Din's spell in the other just in case. Without warning, a shadow lunged at Link from behind. Link felt its presence and rolled to his right and came up swinging his sword. A loud scream echoed through the cavern as Link's blade protruded from its belly and Link rolled it over so he could get free.  
  
"Eeeew!" Navi seemed to squirm at the sight of the dead rattack. It looked like a cross between a dodongo and a large rat. "It's belly and neck seems to be it's weak spot." Navi said examining the carcass. Link wiped his blade on its fur and walked on.  
  
'That was just a young one. I wonder if there's a master at work here as well?' Link began to ponder why all these events seemed to be happening around the same time as the battle alert. 'It seems as if someone wanted both sides too weak to fight the other properly.' Link was brought out of his thoughts as he entered a very large cavern.  
  
"I don't like this Link." Navi muttered. Link nodded his head in agreement. This had an all too familiar air to it. Suddenly, a cave in occurred behind Link trapping Navi and himself in the cave. Laughter echoed in the darkness.  
  
"It seems that the Zora's have gone desperate! Look! They send a child to deal with us now." More laughter echoed in the cavern. "Let us feast on his young tender body and pick our teeth with his bones." Link powered up his sword waiting for the first attack. When it came, Link dodged to the side waiting for a more appropriate situation to use his attack. Link rolled into a circle of them.  
  
"Link!" Navi yelp. Link let lose the attack and the circle of rats screamed the death scream and collapsed dead to the floor.  
  
"What is this!?! Kill that accursed light!" Link jumped out of the ring of dead rattacks and waited. Once he was cornered again, Link let lose another sword attack killing all in its wake.   
  
"Link! Up there! I can see some light on the roof of the cavern." Link backed himself into a wall and took out his fire arrows. Navi targeted the cavern roof and Link let lose the arrow of destruction. A resounding thunk and hiss resounded in the cave as something was burned away.  
  
'What is that stuff?' Link saw what he had burned away and made a face. It was a lot of green gunk that Link had never seen before. It looked like slime but was very easy to burn. The cavern gunk burned away leaving Link with some light in the room. The darkness hissed.  
  
"How dare you bring light into my domain!?!" Hissed the mocking voice from before. Link readied Din's fire in his hands. "I'll tear you apart and leave your remains for the worms to devour! I am the leader of the rattacks Marist and I am not afraid of the light!" Link bounded to the middle of the light where he could plainly see his work.  
  
'Twelve, maybe thirteen dead by my sword. There are at least five more that I can make out. One of them is big.' Link waited for the attack to come.  
  
"Link?" Navi asked worried. Link didn't respond but held a fire arrow notched in his bow. "What are you doing?" Link stood motionless as the last remaining four circled him again. Fast as lightning, Link let lose four arrows that found their mark. A loud rumbling growl echoed as the last one found its mark.  
  
"You will die for that." Link waited for the attack from Marist. Waiting motionless in the light, Link put away his bow and arrow and readied Din's fire. "You shouldn't have put those away." Snickered a loud voice in the darkness. "Those were the only hope you ever had to defeat me." Link let out a startled yelp when the blackness seemed to jump out of nowhere.  
  
"LINK!" Navi yelled worried. Link had been knocked out into the darkness. There were sounds of a struggle and Navi quivered in fear. Link let out a small yelp of pain and then yelled something familiar.  
  
"Yaaaaa!" There was a blinding flash of red light as Din's fire was released and a loud scream from the beast. Then there was a deadly calm. "Navi? You alright?" Link asked stepping back into the light. Navi let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"Don't do that to me again! I nearly had a heart attack! You just disappeared and I couldn't target anything." Navi let out a small gasp when she saw a few scratches on Link's arm. "Link! Are you alright?" Navi fluttered to Links sword arm and gently touched the wounds.  
  
"I'll be fine. It's only a few scratches. Let's light this place up shall we?" Link took out his bow and arrows again and started to burn away the green ooze that covered a good portion of the cavern. When it was light enough, Link made his way back to the cave in.   
  
"What are you doing Link?" Navi asked giving Link some light to see. Link absentmindedly stroked the Deku pendant through his tunic.   
  
"Something's out there." Link said in a low tone. "I can feel something out there. Look!" Link pointed to a crevasse that had been uncovered by the rattacks cave in. Link scuffled his way over rocks and debris and looked straight up. It looked like a large underground canyon. Link could see daylight about and sighed in relief.  
  
'Now we have a way out at least.' Link scrambled back down to where Navi was. When Link came back, he squinted through the dimness of the cavern and saw the sight for what it really was now. The rattacks had no right to be there, they had intentionally tried to kill the Zoras and attacked Link. Normally, Link felt a little sorry for some creatures that didn't have a choice in the matter but these things deserved no pity; they did it just because they wanted to. The whole battle was an extermination of life, a cleansing of pure evil.   
  
"Lets get out of here." Navi said in a low tone. It may have been a cleansing but it was still the deaths of living creatures. "I think I saw a doorway over here during the battle." Link nodded and followed Navi to a great door on the far side of the cavern. Link had been so busy fighting that he didn't notice it until now. It was like the great doors that the regent had.  
  
"Wow." Link said taking a closer look at the carved piece of art. It was just like the regents door but had a noticeable difference; there was other species as well as Zora. It was of all the people of Hyrule working together instead of one race on it's own. Link clicked his tongue thoughtfully.  
  
'I do like that notion. Gerudo and Deku working together. All races shouldn't work apart, they should work together like in Neutral…' Link let the thoughts of Neutral hang in the air for he had other things to do. Link tried to open the door but it wouldn't move.  
  
"You would need a great amount of strength to move these doors." Navi said examining the doors. "These are no ordinary set of doors." Link nodded in understanding. Navi watched as Link pulled out his newly acquired spell and chanted the magic words. Din's power snaked its way along Link's body and he was enclosed in a bright red glow.   
  
"Hnnn!" Link grunted with effort as the doors slowly gave way before his strength. Link opened the door wide enough so he and Navi could go through and he hurried into the room beyond.  
  
"Oh Link." Navi said in a gasp. Link stood in wonder of the beautiful cavern before him. The doors behind Link and Navi closed behind them but neither noticed it. "Are these crystals or ruppies?" Navi said taking a closer look.  
  
"It looks like glass or maybe ice but it's not cold enough here for it to be ice." Link muttered stepping beside Navi. The whole cavern looked like a crystal play land. Edges of the crystals spiked out along the walkway down to the main floor. The ceiling looked like polished glass and so did the floor. Light sparkled from an exit from the tunnel that illuminated the entire cavern.  
  
"It's beautiful!" Navi breathed. Link could only nod in absolute agreement. Link noticed something on the main floor and gasped. It was the symbol of the triforce. Navi noticed this too and Link carefully made his way down the slippery walkway. Link then noticed the grove in the main floor and smiled; this was where the water came from. Link then also noticed why the water wasn't coming out.   
  
"Green slime. How did that get there? I thought that a great deal of power was needed to get through those doors." Navi shrugged her fairy shoulders and Link growled. It just wasn't right for someone to do this to such a pretty place. Link took out an arrow and shot it at the green slime. To Link's surprise, a large wall of rock still blocked the water flow.  
  
"Link, I think you should see this." Navi called from the side. Link looked in the direction Navi was calling him from and groaned loudly. Navi had found another cave.   
  
"Let's check it out." Link said with a sigh. More caves usually meant more obstacles to overcome and more fights. Link and Navi made their way to the tunnels entrance. When they walked into the cave, Link was surprised to find nothing. It was just a small empty cave. "Now what?" Link asked Navi. Before Navi could reply, a bright light engulfed Link again.  
  
"Link!" Navi yelled shocked that her friend had vanished on her. "Oh, that boy! He'd doing that way too often lately!" Link was floating in weightlessness. A bright flash of blue light danced upon his senses and he was able to move.  
  
"Hello Link." Without opening an eye, Link knew who it was that addressed him. "I am the Great Fairy of Peace. I welcome you to my crystal domain."   
  
"Hello." Link muttered as he got up off of the polished floor. Link saw the Great Fairy of Peace and sighed. Yet again the fairy had differences that separated her from all the other fairies. Link gazed at the white flowers that seemed to encircle her body and tied up into her long black hair.  
  
"I see you have been to the Great Fairy of War already. My, you have been a busy boy. Take this spell with you and my hope for the future." Link tottered on his feet as the magic was transferred. Link felt hazy and tired as the Great Fairy worked her magic and closed his eyes. When it was over, Link saw the new spell and brightened up considerably.   
  
"What does this 'Nayru's Nightshade' do?" Link asked the fairy. Peace gave a laugh like all great fairies. Link stared at the spell when she answered.  
  
"It makes flowers around you bloom no matter what the season it is or what type of flower it is. Be careful around purple jungle irises; their pollen can make a person fall into a deep sleep but you can get rid of it by bottling it up." Link went to thank the fairy when she disappeared into her fountain. Link felt the sensation of being pulled upwards and found himself staring at Navi.  
  
"You have to stop doing that." Navi growled at Link. Link let out a nervous laugh and rubbed his neck.  
"Like I really have a choice in the matter." Link managed to get out between laughs. Navi shook her head at Link. Link then remembered the spell and took it out.  
  
"What's that? A new spell?" Navi asked fluttering to Link's hand to see it. Link nodded and sighed. "What does it do?" Navi asked excited. Link pocketed the magic and held up his hand so she could land.  
  
"The Great Fairy of Peace said that it makes any flower bloom. It's called Nayru's Nightshade. She warned me that it could be dangerous if I don't use it wisely." Link said in a regular tone. Navi let out an excited squeal.  
  
"Wow! Do you realize what this can mean!?! Imagine being able to create apple blossoms in winter! Not to mention the winter snowblacks; not one of them have bloomed in years in the Lost Woods. I can't wait to try it out at home." Navi fluttered to Links hat. "Well, that can wait until we get home can't it. Let's go open that wall." Link nodded and made his way back to the triforce marking on the cavern floor.  
  
"Do you think I should play Zelda's Lullaby? It usually worked in the temples and at the fairy fountains in Hyrule." Link asked to the fairy on his shoulder. Navi floated to the floor to examine the markings.  
  
"I don't see why not. Just be careful." Navi said curious. Link nodded and took out the ocarina of time. Link stood directly on the marking and played the soft melody that Impa had taught him such a long time ago. Link swayed side to side as he played the song and memories took form. Link remembered all the fairy fountains he had opened, the way he had used it to get in to see Darunia and most importantly, how he used it to get the master sword. Link let the last note die away in the echoes of the cavern.  
  
"Nothing." Link said disappointed. Navi hovered in front of the rock wall and concentrated at something Link couldn't decipher. Link felt a tremor run through the ground and gulped down his nervousness.   
  
"Link RUN!" Navi suddenly shouted. Link didn't question why when he felt that tremor. Of all the luck! Link started to turn to the way he had come in and things happened in slow motion. Link saw the rock wall vanish letting all the water go, Navi flew over the spray and barely missed being shot out of the air and Link made a desperate lunge for the side. The water hit Link in the side, making Link shoot down the long cavern a ways before he latched onto the side. Link held onto the side as the water pushed his body around like a rag doll.  
  
"Navi!" Link yelled as soon as he saw the fairy looking for him. Navi rushed to Link panicked that she couldn't do anything.   
  
"LINK!" Link was suddenly battered by a large wave and was forced to let go of his rock. Link was dragged down under by the undercurrent.  
  
Man! Link can't catch a break with me can he? (insert evil laughter here)  
  
Disclaimer: Yes, we all know that Link doesn't belong to me already! 


	8. Chapter 8 Preperations and explainations

Chapter 8Outside  
  
"I can't believe Link did that to me!" Zirain growled to no one in particular. Zirain had woken up to Derano and Horaku shouting at him. Ashamed that a child and a youth were going to help save their city, the warriors from both races gathered up their weapons and were nearby. Cera was nearby too and explained that Link went on alone to deal with the rattacks.   
  
"He didn't want to see you hurt. Besides, you would have just got in his way. Link is a very adept fighter and is used to doing these types of things on his own." Cera said apologizing to Zirain. "He left me behind for the same reason. Link and Navi have done these types of things before remember?" Zirain turned toward the fairy so fast that Cera yelped and flew backwards.  
  
"Link has always done things on his own and alone! He has to realize that I can handle myself and that there are sometimes that you have to rely on your friends! He-is-not-alone-anymore." Zirain hissed the last part out that it startled even Derano, his old mentor.   
  
"Calm down! I thought you of all people wouldn't be upset by this. There are some times when people have to do things on their own." Derano said trying to get Zirain's temper down. "What do you mean anyway fairy? I know that lad is no ordinary magician but done these types of things before?" Zirain and Horaku glanced at the other. The Zora shook his head at the old dodger.   
  
"I really can't believe that you haven't figured it out yet. You old windbag! That kid is no mere magician! He's the Hero of Time." As soon as the words were out of Horaku's mouth, a crowd had gathered.   
  
"What!?!" asked a Zora soldier.  
  
"Are you serious!?!" echoed a man in yellow garb.  
  
"That kid!?!" barked another. Horaku suddenly decided that his headache would show back up and put his hand to the sides of his head.  
  
"Yes, now would you all please calm down and-" A loud rumbling sound started interrupting Horaku. The rumbling accompanied a small earthquake that made all the occupants near the riverbed lose their balance. The whole group had just enough time to turn and gape in total astonishment as the mouth of the waterfall spewed out water like a canon. The entire jet stream of water landed in the sea, instantly cleansing the poisonous waters. Then, to everyone's shock, a loud yell was heard.  
  
"LINK!"  
  
"That's Navi!" Cera cried out. Then, a swirl of green accompanied the tremendous water flow into the Watercrest Sea. Navi flew out of the opening looking very panicked and fidgety.  
  
"Link! Link!! Did anyone see where he went!?!" Navi screamed out Link's name a few more times. Horaku and Zirain were already diving in the sea when Dorano figured it out.  
  
"He landed in the Sea! Everyone spread out and search for him!" Navi flew to the last place she had seen the water blast into and began to search. Armor was being thrown off while the Zoran warriors merely dived in. After a few minutes of searching underwater, a splash was heard, then a muffled choke and a cough.  
  
"I don't want to do that again!" Link said in a Zora voice. All eyes watched as the odd Zora reached up to clasp his head and a flash of blue occurred. When they looked back, Link was there instead of the Zora!  
  
"Link!" Navi and Cera flying quickly made their way to the young boy. Link let Navi perch on his hat that was above water as he made his way back to shore. Derano stared in the utmost surprise as Link made his way back.  
  
"He's over there!" Derano shouted. All the Zora occupants in the water heard the shout with watery ears and rushed over to help Link. Link was halfway to the shoreline when he felt Horaku take a firm hold of Link and raced to the shore.  
  
"I can swim on my own you know." Link said trying to get away from the Zora regent. Horaku didn't reply to Link and ignored the comment. Link was getting an earful from both Navi and Cera as they made their way back to the shore. Once there, Link was shivering from the shock of the cold water and everyone saw his lips turn blue. Zirain popped out of the water shortly after Link.  
  
"If you ever-EVER do something that stupid again Link, I'll- I'll- I don't know what I'll do but be sure that you won't like it!" Yelled Zirain. A very soaked Link didn't respond and simply shivered in his presence. "What are you all staring at? Get him inside at once! Can't you see he's in shock!" Link felt warm hands grab him and carry him somewhere. Link didn't know where but didn't care. Link let himself lose consciousness and went into dreams.  
  
Regent's room.  
  
"That was risky what he did." Derano growled when he got the whole story. Zirain nodded with a furrowed brow. Link was passed out on the regent's own bed stripped of his cloths and warm. The regent himself sat beside the bed and stirred the fire. The had moved the bed from it's original position so Link could warm up faster.  
  
"You have to admit, he did have a good reason. I for one am glad he did it." Horaku said causing the two on the stones before him to growl in anger.  
  
"What do you mean!?! He could have been killed!" Zirain growled in anger. Link stirred and sneezed making the covers come off slightly. Horaku pulled the blankets closer to Link and gave Zirain a growl of his own.  
  
"Keep your voice down cub. Link needs sleep. I imagine Link was at ground zero when the icy water took him along for the ride. I can understand that he left you outside; he was worried that you'd get hurt. I can understand that he defeated the rattacks with strange weapons but-" Zirain and Derano's gaze turned to Link when Horaku's did. "I don't understand what caused that cave in or how he was even able to remove the protection wall."   
  
"I don't know either." Derano Gruffed. "Link is just a mere lad, why should our fates be left up to such a young pup? If I hadn't seen him change from a Zora to normal, I wouldn't have believed it myself. The Hero of Time is just a young kid that shouldn't even know how to hold a sword properly." Navi and Cera fluttered back into the room.  
  
"From what Link told me, he's a very independent person. From what I can gather about the Kokiri, they are all children like him and they interact together like a village. " Zirain looked to the fairies that came back into the room. "Maybe we should get a second opinion on Link. Navi? Cera? Would you join us in our conversation?" Navi landed on Link's pillow and Cera took to Zirain's shoulder.  
  
"Sure! What are we talking about?" Cera asked cheerful. Navi didn't answer the question but sat listening.  
  
"We're talking about Link. Tell me, what is Kokiri Village like? Link never really goes into his life there and we find it interesting." Zirain asked carefully. Cera giggled.  
  
"I can tell you about the Kokiri but not Link. That's something Navi could do though. The Kokiri are the immortal children of the forest given life by the forest itself. They never grow up, but they can never leave the forest either. We fairies are chosen by the Great Deku Tree-"  
  
"Sprout." Navi interrupted Cera. "The Great Deku tree died remember? The Deku sprout has that honor now." Cera looked to Navi and nodded.  
  
"Your right, I forgot! Anyway, each Kokiri is assigned a partner fairy so they can work together." Cera flutter to the stone before the hearth. "Link is a Kokiri hunter. Link scavenges the Lost Woods to look for certain herbs and plants and brings them back to the village. Kokiri aren't allowed to eat any sort of meat. Other than that, the only thing that comes to mind is that Link isn't a real Kokiri by blood." This surprised Horaku and Derano.   
  
"You mean that Link is not a Kokiri? Then he is a Hylain? Of the fields perhaps?" Navi decided to join in on the conversation.  
  
"No, Link is not a Hylain of the fields. If I remember correctly, Link told me that this was the place of his birth. His mother I suppose died trying to protect him from this war you started. The Deku sprout told us that a woman came bearing Link and begged the Deku Tree to protect him. The first time I heard that, the Deku sprout confused me." Navi said puzzled.  
  
"What did he say?" Cera asked. Navi's glow brightened a bit.  
  
"That he took Link in because he sensed that Link was a child of destiny. I just don't understand why he didn't just give Link to someone that lived on the edge of the forest. Link was just a baby after all." Navi sighed loudly and her fairy glow dimmed a bit.  
  
"What else can you tell us about Link? Who were the Kokiri he interacted with? Was he happy in the village?" Derano asked. Navi's glow dimmed a bit more.  
  
"I knew that from the first moment Mido opened his mouth that Link didn't like it there. Called him Mr. No-Fairy. Mido is the current leader of the Kokiri and from the short time I spent there with Link, I could tell he tried to make life miserable for Link."  
  
"So he didn't have any friends?" Zirain asked quietly. Navi's fairy light brightened.   
  
"Oh no, I didn't say that. Mido was sorry about it seven years in the future. Truth is, all the Kokiri liked Link. He was best friends with a Kokiri called Saria." Navi giggled a bit. "Link makes the strangest of friends. Saria turned out to be the sage of the forest, Darunia was the great sage of fire and Ruto was the sage of the water." At the name Ruto, Link cringed in his sleep.   
  
"Poor Link." Zirain said softly. "Even in his sleep, he's afraid of the Zora princess." Zirain chuckled.  
  
"Link really grew up when he went on the adventure to find the triforce. I barely recognized him when our journey was over. I still can't get over that adventure he had in Termina though. He's changed even more than I expected." Navi said sighing. Navi leaned over and brushed some hair away from Link's sleeping face.  
  
"Changed? How?" Derano asked looking intently at the fairy. Navi shivered in remembrance of earlier that day.  
  
"Today, I saw Link's real feelings show. Link was a terribly shy boy in the beginning and unsure of himself. Link was too afraid to let anything show on his face when he fought and battled. Today, Link showed a lot of emotion in battle and confidence more so than usual. Also, he wasn't sorry that he killed those rattacks. Link usually feels sorry that he destroyed a life but he didn't show that this time. I'm a little upset about it." Navi stared at Link's innocent face as he slept.  
  
"I think he's become desensitized to battle Navi." Derano said quietly. Navi turned her attention to the old general in the yellow armor. "It happens sometimes. When a soldier fights too often, or has seen too much of something, they simply get used to it." Zirain cast a look of pity to Link.   
  
"Why did it have to happen to someone so young?" Zirain asked quietly. "Couldn't someone else have done it? Why did it have to be Link?" To this, there were no answers.   
  
"Children adapt quickly. Let's hope that this can be reversed once this is all over." Horaku said quietly. Derano and Zirain looked up to Horaku's gaze and sighed.   
  
"That is if he makes it through this quest of his." Zirain said bitterly. Link sighed in his sleep and was in peaceful dreams.  
  
Next day.  
  
"Here Link. As I promised." Horaku handed a pendant of blue to Link. Link was lucky to have recovered so quickly from his ordeal and smiled as he took the pendant.   
  
"Thank you." Link put it around his neck next to the Deku pendant. Link had woken up refreshed and energetic. Zirain was surprised to see Link with so much energy. "Thanks for helping me back out on the beach." Link was given three looks of annoyance.  
  
"Just don't do that again." Zirain growled. Link backed up a bit and winked at the teen. Link then walked out of the cavern with both hands behind his head and his elbow by his eyes.  
  
"Guess you'll have to stick with me to make sure I don't do anything like that again. It was my fault really. I should have remembered to put on the bunny hood before I moved to get out of the way." Zirain shook his head as he caught up with Link.  
  
"You're some piece of work kid. You know that?" Link grinned and stretched his arms out.  
  
"So, where are we going next? To Taro or Derek?" Link asked stopping to wait for Navi and Cera. The two fairies wanted to talk to Derano about something. Zirain ruffled Link's hair.  
  
"Sorry sport. But you're going to go on your own to meet Derek. I have to go and try and talk some sense into Hunter. Derano's is coming with me to tell him about recent events." Link looked hurt for a moment.  
"Why can't I go with you? Isn't Misty Mountains on the other side of Neutral?" Link asked in a hurt tone. Link was surprised when Zirain slapped his forehead.  
  
"Juta! In all the excitement, I forgot to tell you about the line! Link, there's a magical pathway that Taro, Derek and I used to meet when we were younger. We all discovered it by accident and bumped into eachother. What a mess that was. You're going to be in Misty Mountains before you can say 'Zip'. There's a catch though, it picks the location where you land within 100 meters. Usually you land up in an old fountain outside Giro. If all goes well, you should meet Derek there." Link blinked twice taking all the information in.  
  
"And how exactly am I supposed to use this line?" Link asked perplexed. Zirain smiled at Link and walked up to him.  
  
"You won't have to worry about that." Zirain said ruffling Link's hat. Link straightened it out and saw Navi and Cera heading their way.  
  
"Link!" Navi squealed as she latched onto Link's cheek. Link grinned and sighed. Navi had been really worried about Link since yesterday. Link didn't really mind, it just showed that she cared.  
  
"Hi Navi, Cera. Ready to go?" Link giggled when Cera swooped up into his hat. Navi followed suit and tickled Link as she went between the folds of his hat and hair.  
  
"Link!" Link heard the voice calling him and turned to meet Derano's gaze and Horaku's smile. "Before you left, we thought it best to give you this." Link was handed a small bottle containing a silver liquid.  
  
"What's this?" Link asked shaking the contents. Link was about to open the bottle when Horaku stopped his hand. Link put the bottle away in his subspace.  
  
"It's only to be used in extreme circumstances. It's called liquid silver and it's a special potion that restores you fully. If you use it, your body will be covered in the silver metallic liquid and you'll be healed instantly." Horaku said smiling at Link. Link nodded. "Well, I think I've neglected my duties as your regent for long enough. I have paperwork to do. I hope you can come and visit us soon Link." Horaku turned from Link and company. Link watched Horaku walk away with a confused look on his face.  
  
"What was that all about?" Link asked Zirain and Derano as they were walking towards the entrance to the city. Link walked in front of Zirain to get his attention. "Well?"   
  
"Well what?" Zirain asked a little annoyed.  
  
"What was Horaku going on about him being 'my' regent. I thought that if I got the pendants, they would drop the alliance." Link said still walking backwards. "You did say that didn't you?" Zirain laughed at Link's naivety. "What's so funny?" Link asked cocking his head to the side. Link was annoyed when Derano chuckled as well.  
  
"You are! I thought that Derano was clueless. Link, how do you think they become free of the alliance?" Zirain said between laughs. When Zirain asked the question, Link folded his arms behind his back.  
  
"I get their pendant and they govern themselves as before. What?" Link asked when Derano chuckled again. Zirain sighed and wiped away a tear.  
  
"I think you should ponder the rights of alliances Link. You should figure this out on your own." Zirain whistled walking past Link. Link frowned and turned around to follow Zirain out of the gates and into yellow field. Zirain suddenly turned right on the road and Link followed.  
  
"Where are we going?" Link asked Zirain. Zirain gave Link a winning smile and continued walking on. "Zirain?" Link stopped suddenly feeling something up ahead. "What?" Link was on instant alert mode. There was some very powerful magic nearby. Link nearly walked into Zirain as he stopped before a hole in the ground.  
  
"Go on through to the one on your right. That should lead you to Derek." Link peered into the hole. Like every normal storage hole, you couldn't see directly into it. "What are you waiting for? Go on in." Link nodded and jumped into the hole. When Link vanished, Zirain turned to Derano. "This is between us right?" Zirain said quickly.  
  
"Wouldn't have it any other way." Derano said with a grin. Zirain and Derano made their way back to the road and Zirain sighed loudly. "Something the matter?" Derano asked taking note of Zirain now gloomy exterior.  
  
"I feel like I just sent a little brother off to training school." Zirain gave Derano a side-glance and saw that he was feeling it too. "Link is someone you would like to have as a little brother; cute, caring, curious and bright." Derano nodded.  
  
"In all my years of training you young pups in the caverns, I haven't got attached to someone that quickly since lord Hunter." Derano said after they had walked for a while. "I hope that I can get the chance to truly test his abilities, maybe I could even help him polish it off a little." Zirain let out a snort.  
  
"You'll have to contend with the three heroes of Neutral first old man. Derek, Taro and I found him first." Zirain said making a fist. Derano let out a chuckle.   
  
"Yes I suppose you did. I still don't understand how you became friends but I suppose it has to do with this line you described. Well, we might have to have a master's duel in order to see whose apprentice he'll be." It was Zirain's turn to laugh.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Link. 


	9. Chapter 9 Peafog soup

Chapter 9 The Line.  
  
To be frank, Link expected something more. It was just an empty storage unit and two ways out. Link walked up to the one on the right and sighed.  
  
"Are we there yet?" Cera asked from under Link's hat. Link let the two fairies out by removing his hat fully. Navi and Cera circled the storage unit before returning to Link. "There's nothing here!" Cera said with a pout. Navi and Link sighed together.  
  
"Let's go." Link put his hat back on. Cera and Navi went back under Link's hat as he walked through the right exit. When Link came up, he felt strange for some reason. When the blackness cleared from Link's vision, he heard a strange pop. Link landed hard on his rear aboveground.  
  
"Link?" Link cleared his vision to see Derek! Link took a quick recap of his surroundings. Instead of the grass knolls of the sandy beaches and rock cliffs, Link saw nothing but mist.  
  
"Derek?" Link asked trying to see through the fog. Suddenly, a hand shot out from behind Link causing him to jump up. Link rolled away and unsheathed his sword.  
  
"Link! Was that you?" Link lowered his sword and sighed. It was Derek! Link then reprimanded himself for being a scaredy cat. Link then poked Navi and Cera in his hat.  
  
"I'm here Derek! Cera, go and see if you can make him out in this mist." Cera did as she was told and vanished into the mists.   
  
"Over here Link!" Cera shouted.  
  
"Watch that light bug!" Derek growled at Cera. "-and would you stop circling me like a buzzard! It's annoying." Link stifled a laugh as he navigated his way through the mist. Link was rewarded with an annoyed version of his friend Derek of Neutral City. "Would you call her off? She's as bad as a vicious guard dog!"   
  
"Who are you calling a VICIOUS GUARD DOG!?!" Cera bellowed in his ear. Derek gave a yelp and quickly covered his poor ringing ears.  
  
"Come on Cera. We'll need him to be able to think if we want to reach Giro safely." Link said in a tired tone. Cera nodded but gave Derek a bop on the head for his insult. "Where is this city anyway? Zirain said that it would be nearby." Derek surprised Link by grabbing onto his shoulder and began to guide him through the mist.  
  
"Don't worry about it. I've been in this area so often I could do it in the dark." Derek said with a grin.  
  
"That's not comforting!" Link growled. "The fog's so thick that it might as well be night!" Derek laughed at Link's correct statement. It was true, one wouldn't know if it were day or night in the pea soup fog. Derek smiled at the memories when Taro and Zirain visited Misty Mountains.   
  
"You can never tell here. Actually, it's not usually this bad in the main rings around the city. I just hope that the city isn't as bad as this." The pair of humans and fairys walked onward and uphill through the fog.  
  
"How much longer is it?" Link asked a little impateint. "If I trip once more, I swear I'll bellow bloody murder for my feets sake." Link joked. Derek sighed and then stopped suddeny almost making Link trip over him.  
  
"We're here!" Derek said in a neutral tone. Link frowned at his tone but decided to look anyway. What Link saw made him gasp in surprise.   
  
'How in all Hyrule did I miss that!?!' It indeed was a rare sight. A rock wall about the size of the Deku tree popped out of nowhere. The fog was so thick that he could barely see the top.  
  
"We have to go to the right. When the fog isn't this bad, you can see the rocky gardens that the Goron culitivate. There is also a mine and a quarry that can be seen from the gates of the city." Derek said tromping on a well worn path.  
  
"How big is this place Derek? I don't even think I've ever seen the Goron race build anything this huge before." Link asked to the boy who was leading him like a dog would do to a blind man.  
  
"They had to build the walls for protection from the mist and since the trade rout had been cut off. Visions has been trying to made a blacksmith of sorts here. Not many things are being made though. No gorons here have that natural talent for making swords or such. They do make fine armour and sheilds."  
  
"Who is Visions?" Link asked curious. Hoping it was the right question to ask, Link was rewarded with a smile from Derek.  
  
"Visions is a sort of the alliance leader here. They call him Visions because he always had plans or visions of what the future should be like for his people. I think you'll like him. Visions is a big fan of warriors of any sort so smile when I introduce you and he'll butter up to you like you wouldn't believe. By the way, he's the one you have to talk to about getting the pendant." Derek then asked a stupid question in Link's opinion. "Ummm... You do know what a Goron looks like right?" Link let out a bark of laughter.  
  
"Know what they look like! Are you kidding!?! I'm a blood brother to Darunia of Hyrule!" Link said through his giggles. "Have you already forgotten our talk in the inn? Really..." Link said with a grin on his face. Derek blushed beet red but no one was there to see it because of the mist.  
  
"Sorry. It's just that we've been separated for almost five days. Since then, I've been so busy worrying about Misty Mountain and the pendants. What the Blazes!?!" Link almost stepped on Derek's heel when he suddenly stopped dead in the road.  
  
"What's wrong Derek? I can't see a thing with this mist." Link asked. There was a sound of metal upon metal as Link drew the gilded sword. Derek's hand suddenly gripped Links hand tighter.  
  
"Put that away. That's not the reason why I'm shocked." Link's puzzled frown was lost in the mist. Link did as Derek obeyed and put the sword away.   
  
"What's the matter then?" Derek seemed to hesitate to answer the question.   
  
"I can't find the bridge to cross the moat. It's like it's been broken. I stepped on peices of wood." Link and Derek had the same line of though, something had definitly happened here.  
  
"Should we try to cross anyways?" Link asked the misty figure in front of him. If the fog had not been so thick, Link would have seen Derek shake his head.   
  
"I don't think that's a good idea." Derek knew the lay of the land better than Link and Linkknew this. Link was then startled when Derek suddenly let go of Link's hand. "Bern! Bern! You old bomb brain! Are you there!" Derek suddenly yelled. Link felt a bead of sweat run down the back of his neck at Derek's language. Link was even more surprised when there was an answering shout.  
  
"Derek! Derek! Is that you?" Derek's answer was a smile that no one could see and a slight shake of his head.  
  
"You bet it is! If you want the five ruppies I owe you, you had better tell us another way to get in!" Link barely contained his laughter. So Derek was a betting man was he?  
  
"Wait there you scamp." Was the returning bellow. Link then felt Derek take his hand again and relaxed a bit. A little later, a rope was thrust into Link's hand.  
  
"Tie that down to something. Climb up after me." Derek ordered. Link sighed when he couldn't find anything to tie down to. Then Link thought better of it and just held the rope while Derek climbed up it. Link waited for the rope to go slack and he saw something he could use. Derek saw as the rope was suddenly dropped. "Link!"  
  
"Comming!" A small squeak answered. Derek blinked at the unfamiliar voice. That was when Cera and Navi came out of the fog and into the safety of the City.  
  
'What are you doing Link?' Dereks question wasn't answered right away. First, there was the sound of rustling. Next, there was an odd whirrling sound that Derek didn't recognize. Then, a small pop sound echoed and a small deku scrub came shooting out of the mist latched onto a pair of pretty pink flowers. The scrub landed beside Derek without any trouble.   
  
"That was fun. I didn't think you had launching flowers here too." Link said in a deku voice. Derek sighed and shook his head. With that being said, Link pulled off his mask and became a human boy once again.  
  
"You're lucky that Bern was checking in." Derek said as he ruffled Link's hair. Link felt a strange feeling well up inside him. He had made note of it when he had woken up to find that people were worried about him, but that was the only time that Link had felt this strange feeling.  
  
"Checking in? Oh, you mean he's telling his superiors that we're-" Link never got to finish the sentance. A Goron that looked suspiciously like Darunia boomed up the nearest towers steps and barreled into Derek.   
  
"Derek! My boy! How's one of the great hero's of Neutral doing." Link jumped back in mock horror as the strange Goron suddenly had Derek in a bone crushing bear hug. Link wasn't about to get away though as a Goron behind him stopped his escape.  
  
"*Gasp* Hello Visions." Derek managed to gasp out. Link blinked in surprise, this Goron was the alliance leader.  
  
"It does my heart well to see you again Derek." Visions said as he let go of the gasping teen. "You couldn't have come at a worse time though boy. You actually came up the mountain in the heaviest mist that I've ever seen! Oh! You brought a little friend from Neutral. Is he your paige?" Link had to blink a few times to get what he meant.  
  
"He's not my servent!" Derek said in mock horror. "This is Link. He's the hero in green that everyone's talking about."  
  
"Hero in green? Sorry boy, I haven't hear anything about a hero in green. Our gossip lines have been cut off as the fog is too thick for anyone to get through. That's the trouble I'm talking about." Derek had gasped at Link not being heard of in town and looked even more agast when he heard that no one else had gone up the mountain.  
  
"You've got to be kidding me! The Flower Festival is supposed to be tomorrow! What are we going to do without the festival?" Derek said in an anguished voice. Visions gave a sigh in Goron.  
  
"I wish I knew boy. I know how much you like the Flower Festival. That's not the only flaw in the stone. The mist hasn't gone down yet and that means the quarry and mine have been shut down as well as the smiths. We can't send word to Harvester explaining our plight because of the mist. It's almost covering the inside of the city! And to top it all off, the last batch of Glowgreens won't bloom! It's a real mess here!" Visions looked truely depressed. Link noted all the trouble might have been caused by one factor; the mist.   
  
"Where is this mist comming from? I don't think it's natural to have this much mist on any mountain this time of the year." Link asked Derek. To Link's surprise, it was Visions who answered.  
  
"You have a good eye squirt. This mist is produced by the Flora Temple at the summit. It was originally used to hide the Goron race from the Dondogo's. For some reason, they all disappeared when the trading route was closed. Now, we have to contend with the mist." Derek then decided to put his two cents in.  
  
"The mist also lets the Gorons grow their rocky gardens that they are so proud of. People flock from all over Hyrule to see their gardens at the flower festival. It won't be the same here." Derek's sad sigh made all present look a little gloomy.  
  
"At least we have a good feast prepared for tomorrow." Link was startled at the Goron who said that out of the blue. Link recognized the voice as the one who was bantering with Derek. Bern was it?  
  
"Sir!" Link had trouble keeping his balance as a small blur about his size came rushing past him. When the world had slowed down, Link saw the assailant as a young Goron boy. Visions took the paper the boy was holding out and read the paper. "Bye!" Link braced himself as the boy slammed into him again and this time, Link nearly sat down trying to get the world to stop spinning.  
  
"What the blazes!?!" Link blinked as the world went back into focus.   
  
'At least I know where Derek got that saying from.' Link though with a wry grin on his face. Then Link noticed that the Goron leader was angry, very angry. Link had never seen a Goron look like that before. Visions face looked like it was a miniture volcano ready to blow. Link gulped down a lump in his throat and pitied the poor fool who had angered the Goron.  
  
"What's wrong?" Derek asked taking the note from Vision's tightly clenched hands. Link jumped up on the wall's ledge to read over Derek's shoulder. The note read:  
  
  
Greetings Visions,  
  
  
We both know the point of this letter so I will be brief. Harvester cannot help you and your people are in   
  
  
an uproar about the festivals imminent cancelation. They demand that you hand over the pendant to the   
  
  
one that stops the mist and saves the festival. I will persuade the temple to stop making the mist if you   
  
  
bring me the pendant at tomorrow's sunrise at the quarry. If not... well, suicide isn't the only option left to   
  
  
you after discracing your people for the first time in a thousand years.   
  
Soaran  
  
Link nearly choked on the signature. Derek looked like he was ready to explode. Derek turned to Visions so fast that Link almost fell off the wall.  
  
"You can't give into him! Visions, there's a reason why I'm here! We-" Visions held up his hand commanding silence.   
  
"I have no choice. If he truely can stop the mist, I must give it to him." Visions said after a bit. The Goron   
closed his eyes as if very weary of the world. "I wish we could wait for Harvester."  
  
"You don't have to give it to him! Show him Link!" Derek suddenly had the attention of everone there. Link scratched   
the back of his neck and let out a nervous laugh.  
  
"What do you want me to show him?" Link asked. Derek sighed and smacked his forehead with his left hand.   
  
"Anything! Just don't let Visions think that we can do nothing while this is happening!" Link shrugged and then   
snapped his fingers. Link took out one of his masks and put it on. Visions jumped back as did Bern at the sight of   
old age magic twisting over the youth. It swirled as Link let out a silent scream and then a blinding flash of light   
enveloped the boy's form. When Visions looked back, a Goron warrior was standing before him. To Visions utmost   
surprise, the Goron asked him a question.  
  
"Which way is this Flora Temple of yours?"  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own Link yet 


	10. Chapter 10 Flora templewithout the flowe...

Chapter10  
  
"You sure about this Link?" Derek asked nervously. Link looked up to the Flora Temple. It was at the edge of the safety of the city. Flora Temple indeed! There wasn't one flower on it, only some odd green pods. It was built directly into the mountain and had high sheer rock cliffs to contend with. The question that Derek asked bounced off the rock walls. Link simply smiled at Derek's hesitance.  
  
"Not a problem." Link answered in a cheery voice.   
  
"There will be plenty of problems for you young one." Visions said in a gruff voice. "First you need to open the temple and no one has been able to do that for a thousand years." Link didn't respond to the challenge in Visions voice. The area around the temple was Links most important concern right now.  
  
'Every other temple that I've been to has some sort of requirement before you can enter. This one shouldn't be any different.' Visions and Derek watched Link circle the area like a hawk. Link hookshotted up over the closed door and took a survey of the area. Noting that there wasn't any markings on the ground that called for a song, Link studied the rock formation around him and then jumped off.  
  
"Link?" Derek asked clearly confused that Link was goofing around instead of trying to find the entrance. Link gave no indication that he was listening. "What are you doing?" Derek repeated.  
  
'So, maybe it would be easier to blow the entrance up? No, no. There are no cracks in the doorway, it would just burn the entrance. This would be so much easier if there was a switch of some sort...' Link walked up to the door and then turned around.  
  
"LINK!" Derek finally said annoyed. Before Derek could berate the younger boy, Link whirled out his slingshot and loaded it. Derek yipped and ducked and a nut flew over his head and then into an eye that was in the rock behind him. Visions watched in amazement as the eye closed and as the door to the temple opened.  
  
"I'll take things from here." Link said as he began to stride into the temple. Visions and Derek picked their jaws up from off the floor and stopped Link.  
  
"Hold on there. What kind of Goron would I be if I let you go in their alone? This isn't your problem young one. Let one of my warriors deal with this." Visions said spinning Link around.  
  
"I think we can handle this old friend." Derek said placing a hand on Vision's shoulder. "I don't think that there will be enough time for you to get someone to come up here and take care of this." Link now was standing directly under the temples doorway. A quick glance to his left confirmed his suspicions. "Besides I'll-"  
  
"I'll send Cera back before sunrise." Link said quickly. The Goron and human where shocked at how far Link had gotten away from them without noticing and watched in horror as the nut in Link's slingshot struck another eye beside the doorway and the door just simply dropped right in front of him.  
  
"Link!!" Derek and Visions shouted in unison. The rumbling had stopped as the door locked with an odd click. The pair pounded on the door until exhausted.  
  
"Damn!" Derek cursed. "This is bad."  
  
"We have no time to be doing this! Try to get the door open." Visions demanded.   
  
"I don't think it's that easy." Derek said in an angry tone. "I don't know exactly how he did it in the first place. I think Link knew exactly what he was doing when he did this. All we can do is wait and hope that Link is able to get ride of the mist." Derek closed his eyes tightly and a snarl entered his voice. "But when that runt gets back..." Derek let the threat hang.  
  
"I'm sure he had good reason to go in alone." Visions said in a smug voice. "He just wanted to prove himself a warrior!" Then Visions face looked grim for a Goron's face. "But he should have picked a more opportune time for trying to play hero." Derek snorted.  
  
"He's already a hero. I don't know what he's trying to prove now though."  
  
Inside  
"Why did you lock them out Link?" Cera demanded once the boy was out of earshot of their banging.  
  
"I should be the one to do this." Link said walking along a narrow corridor that steadily increased. "If I expect to get the pendant from Visions, I should be the only person to risk his neck. Derek will understand." The first time Link had entered a temple of any sort, it was about six months in his past and about seven years in the future. It was the forest temple where Saria was being held as the great forest sage. Alone in thoughts about what might lie in store for him, Link began to notice something on the ground.   
  
"What's this?"  
  
"What's what Link?" Navi asked.  
  
"Look at the floor." Two fairies turned their attention down to the floor and saw odd designs all over the place. It looked like someone tried to draw squiggly lines all over the floor.   
  
"Could that be some sort of clue to what's happening here?" Cera wondered out loud. Link knelt down and traced the lines on the floor. It looked like a river on the floor.  
  
"Be careful." Link said as he withdrew his sword. "There's something up ahead." Navi and Cera exchanged looks.  
  
"How do you know that Link?" Navi asked suspicious. Link walked forward an few paces and there was a blast of wind that made Navi and Cera blast back a few feet.  
  
"There's a strong wind up ahead. I think you two should wait here. The wind is too strong for fairies." Link ignored their protests and walked forward.  
  
"Link!" Navi cried in alarm when the boy ignored her and proceeded through the door. Link looked around the room and shook his head with a sigh.  
  
'Another day, another dungeon.' Link made swift progress in turning off the switches in a catacomb of doors and hallways. It seemed that every switch that Link pulled made a slight groaning sound from deep in the labyrinth. That's when he met the first mini-boss since he had entered Hyrule.  
  
"Kikikikikiki!" Link looked past the wizard robe to the last switch of the dungeon…he hoped. "Prepare to be vanquished Goron supporter!" Link blinked in surprise.  
  
'That's new. The only sounds from a Wizardrobe I've heard is that painful laugh or that ouch! sound. Link got out the gilded sword and his mirror shield. If this Wizardrobe was like any of the others, it would use magic.   
  
"Taste fireball brat!" A glow suddenly appeared around the wizardrobes hand. Link almost shook his head, that was a typical attack. Link held up the shield and it bounced harmlessly back at the Wizardrobe. The creature blinked in surprise.  
  
'Soaran never mentioned this.' The Wizardrobe successfully dodged it's own attack. 'There isn't supposedly a creature that can deflect the fireball back at me!' That was the magical creatures last thought as Link's strategy for most Wizardrobes went into effect.  
  
"Kyaaaa!" Link swooped down with his most damaging blow and backed off in case he would disappear. Link blinked when the Wizardrobe suddenly cried out in pain and surprise. Then there was a death cry. Link looked at the pile of clothes that was left.  
  
'That was too easy.' Link thought scanning the area just in case this was a trick. Then the robes erupted in a blue flame and disappeared. Link cautiously put away When the last switch was pulled a mighty rumbling occurred that almost swept Link off his feet.   
  
"Whoa!" Link grabbed for the wall directly in front of him that had the last switch on it and found that there wasn't a wall anymore. "WAAAAAAAA!" Link tumbled down into darkness and quickly vanished from sight.  
  
The City.  
  
"It's getting near the time. Should we give in to Soaran's demand or not?" Visions's scowled at the messenger that he was about to send to the blasted wizards camp. To trust that child or not? Vision's had not seen some sort of sign from Link yet.  
  
'Bombs and blasts! I don't know what to do!' Vision's knew he had to make a choice. The Goron people where already crowding outside of his home expecting answers. The light from the torches was enough to light up the mist surrounding the building. This was a real problem.  
  
"Trust him." Derek suddenly said. Visions jumped at Derek's interruption. The Goron regained his composure and shook his head tiredly. "Wait until dawn at least. I have faith that Link will be able to do something about the mist."  
  
"I wish I had your confidence in the boy. Rock slides! A boy! What were we thinking!?! What was HE thinking!?!" Visions bellowed finally. As if on cue with the Goron's stressed shouts, the ground began to rumble under their feet.  
  
"What the-" Derek grabbed onto the nearest thing he could use to steady himself on which was the nearest wall. Visions wasn't as lucky and he fell with a loud thud onto his behind, leaving a small crater in the rock floor. As soon as it had started, the earthquake stopped.  
  
"What the deuce was that?" Visions said as he struggled to get out of the hole. A blinding grin met Visions head on.  
  
"I do believe that was our signal. Blazes! It took him long enough."  
  
Flora Temple  
"Uh!" Link shot up with a start. A quick survey of the area had Link grinning from ear to ear. A large and somewhat complex machine filled the entire room and Link had to stop himself from whooping in excitement. This had to be the machine that Visions had been talking about. Link scrambled to his feet and withdrew his sword.  
  
'Now, how do I go about in destroying this sucker? I could just find something that looks important and-' Link's thoughts trailed off as his eye caught something that looked foreign to the machine attached to it. Curious, Link walked up to the odd looking part and examined it carefully. It looked like crystal, a highly powerful type of crystal. Link examined where the crystal was in the machinery and smirked.   
  
"So, Soaran kept up the mist by introducing another power source. Let's see what happens when it's broken." If Navi or Cera had been with Link, they might have warned Link that destroying the power source might not be wise. Unfortunately, Cera and Navi were not there. With a mighty swing, Link shattered the crystal in half. A massive power shot up through Link's sword arm and left the boy with a numb arm. That was after Link had been blown back a few feet and slammed into another part of the machine that looked like a long stick just jutting up from the ground. A small audible click was heard and Link felt some sort of pressure as he shook himself out of his dazed stupor.  
  
'Uh,oh. This can't be good.' Suddenly, Link was pinned to the ground as a circular lift directly under him shot straight up in the air and disappeared into the ceiling.   
  
Blue Fountain Fortress  
  
"Milady?" Harvester was shot directly out of her thoughts by a tentative voice that could only belong to Diamond. Diamond was her court magician, no match for her in a wizards duel but powerful in his own right. In his regular blue and gold robes, Diamond would be the only one who dared disturbed her when she was in this type of mood.   
  
"Yes Magician?" Diamond winced at being called by title and not by name. This would only make things worse he was sure of it.   
"Pardon my interruption but the mist hasn't gone down. The flower festival will surely have been cancelled this year." The man looked down as he delivered the message from the merchants. To this news, Harvester frowned further if that could be done. Harvester love the flower festival and it seemed that this year she would not be able to go again.   
  
"Is that all?" Harvester growled with shadows covering her eyes. Diamond kept his eyes situated firmly on the floor.   
  
"Yes milady." It was bad enough that Harvester had lost the Deku pendant and had it given to some unknown hero in green. Now Harvester would be unbearable without the flower festival this year.  
  
"Harvester!" The lady in question looked up to see her best archer and friend Trent come barrelling up the throne room like an excited boy at market. Trent was so jubilant that he didn't notice the scowl on Harvesters face.  
  
"What is it Trent?" Harvester growled in her iciest voice she could manage. Trent was oblivious to her ill humour so he merely bowed before grinning like a schoolboy and spilling his news.  
  
"Milady! Great news! My spies have informed me that the yellow leader has lost the Zora pendant to some hero in green!" Harvester didn't react like the archer had hoped. There was shock in her eyes yes but no joy. "Milady, this is our chance to overthrow the yellow kingdom! Without the Zora's the Goron army can easily beat the Gerudo tacticians. Milady?"  
  
"This is not good news Trent. Send a the second legion to Misty Mountains. If this hero in green continues on like this, I might have all of my alliances taken from me. What's worse is that we don't know if this hero in green has good intentions or not…"  
  
The Battle  
"You've got to be kidding me!" Link cursed as the large lizardbird creature swooped down upon him from the mist. Link bellowed as he dodged to the left. After reaching the topmost peak of the mountain, Link had been attacked without warning from above. It was a certain cross between a dondogo and a stupid crow (anyone else hate those birds?). Without Navi or Cera, Link had a hard time trying to lock onto the bugger. Arrows wouldn't help him.   
  
'What have I got myself into now?' Link groaned to himself as he dodged yet another swoop from the creature. The bird was not only fast but smart. Every time it would circle once and come at Link from the sun behind it. Link could only hope to dodge and then quickly slash at it before the beast took to the air again. After the first few sweeps Link was already down quite a few hearts.   
  
"Argh!" Link tenderly touched his back. The last dive the lizard bird had done major damage. Link was pushed back a few feet towards the edge of the platform. The bird crowed in what it thought triumph.   
  
'I'm Link of the Kokiri! I travelled through time, defeated Ganondorf and Majora's Mask. I will not go down so easily.' Link closed his eyes. 'Wait for the wind and flap of it's wings.' With a mighty roar, the birdlike creature swooped down once more to kill its prey. It was a surprise to both Link and the Lizbirdfos when the boy just disappeared.  
  
????  
  
"Welcome young warrior." Link's eyes opened slowly as the visages of cobwebs were swept from his memory. The first thing that registered was the fact that he could see.   
  
'I'm alive?' How it had come to pass Link didn't know until he remembered the voice that woke him up. A quick glance around told Link all he needed to know. 'Ah, I should have known. A fairy fountain.'   
  
"You had quite a scramble up their warrior. I am the great fairy of life." Link turned to look behind him and a fairy unlike any he had ever seen before popped out at him. Instead of the regular sized fairy, this fairy was small. Link was easily a head taller than this fairy. The face was like a small child's, blue eyes and blonde hair. The fairy was wearing … well, Link couldn't tell for her body was aglow like a firefly.   
  
"Uh, thanks… I take it was you who saved me." Link said uncomfortable that they were so close. A bright smile lit up the fairy's features.   
  
"Think nothing of it brave warrior. Now then. I have a spell just for such an occasion. It's called Farore's flight. Use it well." Link smiled as the spell was transferred over to him. This fight was about to get interesting.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own link....I just like tormenting him. 


	11. Link the falling? hero

Chapter 11

Back to Navi and Cera

"We've been past this place before!" Cera said in a squeal. Navi sighed and looked around. They had been this way before. The pot they had smashed a while back was still there.

"So we go to the right this time." Navi said tired. This had been the third time they had gone around. "We have to get out of this maze! Link needs our help!" A few minutes later….

"Aaaaaaargh!" Cera yelled. They were back at the smashed pot again. "That does it!"

"I agree. I will head left and you head right. Maybe we'll get lucky and one of us will find the way out." Navi fluttered to head to the left when Cera voiced a concern.

"How will I know if you found the way out?" Navi paused in mid flight to ponder the question. Not coming up with an answer was becoming annoying.

"I can't think of anything! How did Link get through this maze? I remember Link having only one way to go through and then he began to open other paths by pulling switches." Cera's eyes lit up.

"That's it Navi! We need to go through this place in reverse! If you remember correctly when Link pulled the switches he also closed the way behind him." Navi's fairy light brightened considerably like every fairy does when it gets excited.

"You right! The last switch Link pulled was to our right!"

"Then what are we waiting for? Lets go and help Link!" Two dots of fairy light raced down a corridor to their right so fast that it looked as a little white blur. Hoping against all odds that they would be able to let the switch go at their destination.

Now what we've all been waiting for… Link's battle!!!

The one known as Gratch circled where it's prey should have been. The creature was not one that had a conscious of it's own. It was merely a thing of magic. Created by a master and living only to do the will of the master. This creatures master was nearby so the overwhelming power that the master supplied was not diminished by distance. It was powerful, destructively dangerously powerful. Yet it had failed the master.

"Do not let anyone near the secret passageway that leads into Flora Temple. You're to protect the entrance so the mist can

continue to flow." The flow of mist had stopped. The creature almost let out a wail of grief. It had not failed the master! No one

had come near the secret entrance. The Flora temple was much too dangerous for anyone to try and conquer the trails. Yet a boy had

come out of the secret entrance.

"Hisssss." It had attacked the boy. The lad had no chance against a being such as him. The boy's feeble attempts to protect himself made the creature cautious. A fight was never good for strong prey only fought back. The creature had the boy in it's clutches! Nasty vermin had disappeared! The creature screeched it's anger out for the world to hear.

"Hyyyaaaaa!" Suddenly something had struck it! Pain!

'This is great!' Link was on a high of thrilling power. Link had powerful spells that transported you across places, protected you from damage but flight! The power to lift yourself from the coils of the ground and to soar was the most exhilarating thing Link had ever come across. After erupting out of the great fairy's entrance Link went straight for the thing that attacked him.

"Yaaaaaah!" It wasn't easy to swing a sword in midair, If Link missed he would go flying in the wrong direction. If Link hit Gratch with a powerful strike that landed on the wing. Once a wing was useless, Link would be able to fight it on the ground. Or so he thought. It was not to be that easy.

'Whoah!' A high pitch roar altered Link that there was something wrong. Gratch let open his mouth and a hailstorm of icicles blasted towards Link. Link barely had time to twist out of it's way. Link's heart dropped into his stomach. 'I was on the edge of that attack. If it had been a direct hit…' Lin imagined himself looking like a icicle pin cushion. Link shook his head trying to clear that image from his head. 'First things first, how do I turn that ice blast off.'

"Waaaa!" Link didn't have time to think. Gratch had suddenly swooped down upon Link like a hawk and it's prey. Link's body reacted before he had time to think about what he was doing and cast Din's power as the hilt of his sword came down on Gratch's head. It was enough that it knocked the attack off course and Gratch went barrelling under Link. Link however, was so close to Gratch that the mere wind force from the attack sent him spiralling out of control for a few seconds. Link got himself under control just in time to see that Gratch was stunned for a moment longer. Link the attacked the left wing and brought Gratch out from paralysis.

'That's what I have to do!' Link then formed an attack plan in his head. Whenever the thing would attack he would parry it with Din's power and then attack it while it was stunned. When Gratch tried the diving swoop attack, Link was ready. Link used Gratch's head as a springboard and catapulted high into the air above. Link would then use his strongest sword swipe on the same wing. Then Gratch tried the icicle assault.

"Take this!" Link roared. Just as Gratch opened his mouth, Link took out his hookshot and hit Gratch in the side of the head, effectively knocking the attack away. That's when Link notice that Gratch looked worn out after using the attack, Link streaked in for a in close attack. Gratch was knocked back by Link's blows and a lot of damage was done before Gratch tried to counter attack. Link noticed the movement in the creatures arm just in time to avoid the attack. To Gratch's surprise, Link was able to back off just in time, leaving the wings vunerable for just a moment. Link attacked with as much of Din's power he could cast into the sword as he attacked the open wing. The attack hit.

'What?' Link thought in awe. The wing that Link had hit was beyond useless by now. Link's speed had ensured that there was little to no damage from Gratch's claws but it was impossible to stay in the air with only one wing! That could only mean one thing. 'Magic. Great, what am I going to do about this! I have to land soon. The great fairy said that there was a time limit on this spell.' Link's experience with magical creatures of the night began to run through his head. Possibilities were dismissed as soon as they were analysed. As far as Link could tell, this monster resembled a flying dondogo. 'I'll try it.' Link quickly dodged another airborne swipe at his wings as Gratch tried desperately to keep up with the young boy. Then Link did something that took Gratch by surprise. 

"Eat flame!" Link stopped midair letting Gratch pass over him. This left Gratch's back wide open. Quickly pulling out his magical bow and fire arrow, Link shot one into the creatures good wing. What happened next was unexpected. Gratch suddenly screamed in pain. The fire magic had spread like wildfire on the creatures body and lit up like a bonfire.

'Wow.' Link watched hovering as the creature began to drop like a stone in the sky. It hit the side of the mountain with a great crash and lay immobile.

"Alright!" Link smiled with pride. It had been one of his tougher battles but Link had gone through it victorious. Unfortunately, Link felt a tingling on his back at that exact moment. "Oh no…" 

Back to our confused fairy friends

"Were here!" Navi and Cera floated in front of the entrance…on the inside part of it. "So… How do we get this thing open?" Cera asked no one in particular.

"How should I know. If Link was here he would just blow the door open with a bomb and…" Navi said offhand. Cera still didn't know about Link's special subspace pocket.

"WHAT!?! What in Hyrule is Link doing with explosives!?!" Cera flew so close to Navi that it looked like there was only one light that lit up the cavern.

"Calm down! He knows how to use them properly or the gorons wouldn't have allowed him to use them. Shouldn't we be thinking on a way to get out of here?" Before both fairies could react, there was a thunderous noise as Gratch smashed through the side of the wall. Navi and Cera were blown back and almost smashed against the wall.

"Wahhhhhhhhhh!" Navi was faster than Cera to look up and see Link plummeting to the ground at a great speed.

"LINK!" Navi cried out in horror. Navi was airborne in an instant, desperately trying to fly to her friend before he hit earth. Navi knew that she wouldn't make it in time and if she had, there was precious little she could do.

'Goddesses protect him!' Navi thought as Link hit the tree canopy.

Link

There had always been nightmares of falling to your untimely demise in almost any race, so experiencing it for real was terrifying. Link couldn't tell which end was up. All Link was conscious of was the swirl of green he was quickly falling to.

'Dear goddesses please let this work!' Link quickly opened his subspace pocket and searched for a bottle of magic replenisher. Finding one, Link nearly threw up as he used it to the loss of vertigo. Link chanted Farore's Flight just in time to stop himself from killing himself by smashing into a tree limb.

"Whew!" Link sighed in relief. Link righted himself with the world and sat down on the tree limb he was almost skewered on a minute ago. Link didn't get the rest he needed as he noticed the positioning of the moon. It was almost dawn.

'I've got to find Navi or Cera! Derek and Vision's can't give in to Soaran's demands. They need to know that the mist will clear.' Link shot up over the tree canopy to knock two distraught fairies from an all out flight run.

"Link!" Navi and Cera said in unison. Then Link could not decipher what each fairy was saying as they both decided to latch onto his cheeks and cry. What he did get was that they were both glad he was alright and he was in a world of trouble.

"Navi! Cera! Quick! One of you has to let Visions know that the machine that's making the mist is destroyed and that the monster guarding it is dead." Both fairies seemed to pull themselves together when reminded of the situation at hand. They also noticed another important factor.

"Link!" Cera exclaimed in disbelief. "You can fly."

"Another spell from a great fairy. Navi would you hurry? Cera can keep me company here until I can walk back." Not needing anymore persuasion, Navi flew quickly through the disappearing mist towards the Goron village of Misty Mountain. 

"Are you aright Link?" Cera asked as the pair gently floated back down to the ground. Link shrugged tiredly.

"I'm exhausted." As the mist began to clear in the predawn. Link realized that they were in a small clearing in the forest surrounding the mountain. The trees were wide and tall. In fact, the forest was so old that it reminded Link of the kokiri forest. A small pang of homesickness struck the young boys heart as it did occasionally on trips like this.

"Link?" Link had grown quiet and was looking slowly at his surroundings in an odd mood that Cera had never seen before. Link ignored the query and made his way to an older tree with limbs that would serve well for a nap.

"I'm going to sleep for a while Cera. Wake me if something attacks." Was Link's reply as he hoisted himself onto a low laying branch and made himself comfortable. Cera sighed and waited until Link was asleep before settling down herself to stand guard over her charge.

Quarry

"Do you have the pendant?" Visions glared at the hideous creature before him that was obviously sent by Soaran. It was a reptilian creature with blood red eyes and a long spiky tail. Twin scales of blue covered the creatures chest like armour and talons replaced the odd creatures feet.

"I thought Soaran would be here in person." Visions said grumpily. Inwardly, Visions was still waiting for Link's signal as the fog had yet to lift from the village and it was well past dawn. The creature chuckled darkly.

"Master will not wait for Goron. Master has many things to do. Give pendant and fog disappear." Visions sighed as he fingered the pendant in his pocket.

"Don't give it to him." Visions didn't bother to turn around to acknowledge Derek.

"I might not have a choice in the matter." Visions said in a sad but calm tone. Derek stepped forwards as the reptile shot him a dark look of warning.

"We don't even know if Soaran can lift the mists. We don't have any proof that this creature is even linked to Soaran." Derek could feel the agitation rise from Visions in waves. "We also don't know if Soaran will keep his end of the bargain even if we do give him the pendant." Derek was expecting the outburst when it came.

"Don't you think I know that!" Visions roared. "At least I'm trying to do something. If I do nothing, then what good am I to my people." Visions growled.

"You already did something." Derek said with a smile in his voice. Vision sent a questioning look his way. "You sent Link. Believe in him." Visions closed his eyes and thought. What Derek said was true. But there was another problem Visions couldn't overlook.

'Should I believe in a boy I hardly know? If it was Derek in there, I wouldn't hesitate to take this filth from this world and give my allegiance to him." Visions took a deep breath and looked at Derek for answers. The look in Derek's eyes was all he needed to make a choice. Derek believed in him.

"You can tell that stuffed shirt wizard to rot in the underworld snake." Visions snarled as he turned away to leave the quarry. Then, a tiny voice was heard in the distance.

"Don't give up the pendant." Derek and Visions turned towards the small voice to see a small light in the distance. Navi was hard to see in the morning light but she was zigzagging across the sky to get noticed.

"Navi!" Derek clambered out of the quarry as fast as his legs could carry him to met the fairy. Visions stayed behind with a smirk.

"It seems you fail this time Soaran. Now if you don't mind, I have a pendant to give and a flower festival to get to." Visions suddenly hit the lizard with a bone crushing Goron punch and did what he wanted to do in the first place; smash the lizard into the quarry wall with a satisfying smack. Making sure that the possessed reptile was dead, Visions left to welcome the news of the young hero and his possible victory.

Disclaimer: I don't own Link. 


End file.
